Andrew Corner, M.A., APR, Fellow PRSA, recently received the 2025 Distinguished Academic Staff Award, which recognizes the outstanding achievements of professionals who serve the university in advising, curriculum development, outreach, extension, research and teaching.
Corner currently acts as the chairperson of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations (AD+PR) at Michigan State University, assuming management responsibility for the department and running its budget.
The department offers three undergraduate majors — Advertising Management, Creative Advertising, and Public Relations (PR). It also includes two graduate programs in Advertising and Public Relations and Strategic Communications as well as a Ph.D. program in Information and Media.
Teaching Philosophy
“I like to create opportunities for students to experience the kind of tasks, assignments and challenges they would face in an entry-level or early career position,” said Corner, describing his pedagogical focus as “decidedly experiential.”
Whether through in-class simulations or real-world situations, he places value on creating scenarios for students to gain insight into challenges they might face in an internship or entry-level position in the field.
“We try to create a safe space where students are enabled to try things, make mistakes, receive constructive feedback and criticism sometimes. . . in a place where they can learn from those mistakes without compromising their future in the career,” Corner said.
Corner played a major role in the introduction of industry immersion classes at MSU, where students are provided opportunities to shadow and network with professionals in major markets such as Detroit, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Since the program’s inception, many students have secured corporate and agency positions as a result of these courses.
His support for experiential learning extends to study abroad education programs as well. Corner himself has accompanied students overseas seven times, visiting locations such as the United Kingdom, Italy and the Cannes International Festival of Creativity.
“When the public relations major was launched, I also launched an education abroad program focused on PR in the United Kingdom,” Corner added. As the chairperson of AD+PR, he has sponsored multiple new programs that will visit Australia, China, Korea and Northern Europe in years to come.
Looking Ahead
Amidst the dynamic landscape of social media and advertising, Corner maintains that certain professional skills will always bear relevance.
“To build a positive, or at least a functional relationship with people — and maybe you don't agree with them — but the ability to engage in conversations that lead to constructive strategies and outcomes is a key soft skill, as is the ability to present effectively in front of an audience,” Corner remarked.
He posits that public speaking is — ahead of death — the number one fear for most people, and that it is therefore an essential capability to impart to students. The ability to effectively craft messages, whether through writing or visual media, is of particular importance. “Artificial intelligence is going to enable our ability to create that stuff faster, but we still have to recognize when it's quality,” Corner noted.
As there hasn’t been an educational precedent at MSU for students interested in the development of a monetized online presence, Corner shared that the college is currently working on curriculum to support academic programming in the content creation and social media space.
“The creator economy is the fastest growing segment of the world economy — that is the place where most of our graduates are going to make their living,” Corner said.
He also identified esports as, in his opinion, “the next big thing,” pointing out that in many regions of Asia, this form of competitive entertainment attracts an even wider audience than traditional spectator sports such as soccer or cricket.
While ComArtSci already has a robust esports presence, Corner “[looks] forward to supporting the emerging emphasis on esports . . . we want to support the ecosystem that's going to surround [it].”
Corner described the Distinguished Academic Staff Award as the highest honor he has ever received in his career, saying that he is humbled by its bestowal, especially considering the high standard of excellence at MSU.
“I'm very thankful for the folks that I've worked with over the years that have supported my development and have allowed me to achieve, I think, some pretty impactful things. I am blessed to work alongside colleagues in a department that embraces both research and teaching and values the experience I bring to the classroom and administration. Their support and respect have enabled me to thrive, and in every way this is really their award,” Corner said.
He would like to thank Professor Saleem E. Alhabash for his leadership in assembling the nomination that led to the award.
By Natasha De Souza