William Nowling MA

Professor Nowling directs the Communication Leadership and Strategy major in the Department of Communication within the College of Communication Arts & Sciences where he also is a Professor of Practice.

Professor Nowling is a seasoned communication leader with more than 25 years of experience in leading strategy formulation and communication campaigns that deliver measurable results for clients and organizations. He has managed global and regional public relations and advertising agencies, driving business development and providing strategic counsel to organizations navigating challenges and change. His expertise in data collection, analysis, and interpretation has helped organizations understand how they communicate and adapt to change. Nowling has a wealth of experience advising C-suite executives.

Throughout his career, Professor Nowling has established himself as a prominent strategic communication leader, having advised on a range of high-profile crisis communication cases. He served as an architect of the integrated health communication campaign for COVID-19 testing and vaccination in Wayne County, Michigan, which generated a measurable decrease in the at-risk positivity rate. Professor Nowling also counseled Michigan’s governor through the Flint Water Crisis, crafting an effective and stakeholder-focused response that provided the opportunity for state and federal officials to bring assistance and investment to affected residents.

Prior to his current role at Michigan State University, Professor Nowling was the Managing Director and Partner in the Detroit office of Lambert & Company, where he directed $10 million in client services across the agency and its regional offices and was responsible for ensuring that the strategic initiatives recommended helped clients achieve their core business objectives. He was also the Senior Partner at Finn Partners and recruited and led a staff of 15 professional communicators, doubling revenue in 12 months to $2.2 million while diversifying the client base from one healthcare client to more than ten spread across automotive, government, and technology sectors.

Director, Communication Leadership and Strategy

Professor of Practice

My research interests focus on how crises create discursive spaces for organization renewal.