Karla K. Gower, Ph.d.

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Karla K. Gower, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Advertising and Public Relations Department of the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama. She holds a doctorate in mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master's degree inmass communication from Arizona State University, and a law degree and undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario, Canada.

Gower practiced law in Canada for eight years and has worked in public relations at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, GateWay Community College, Phoenix, Ariz. and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Her current research interests focus on the history of public relations and legal issues affecting the practice of public relations. Her research publications include articles on media history and media law in Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, American Journalism and Free Speech Yearbook. In addition to numerous conference presentations, she has contributed entries to History of the Mass Media in the United States and the Historical Dictionary of Women's Press Organizations (in press).