Biography

Chrissy Cruz is a faculty member at the Nicholson School of Communication and Media at the University of Central Florida. She has 12 years of university teaching experience, including eight years at UCF, focusing on Ad/PR, intercultural communication, instructional communication, and business communication. With a rich academic background of a Master of Mass Communication and Public Relations from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, Chrissy specializes in advertising, public relations, and intercultural communication. Her academic journey is further distinguished by a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Psychology, a Master of Education, and an Educational Specialist degree, all from UF, equipping her with advanced skills in instructional design, curriculum development, and faculty development.

Chrissy is also a Lecturer at the University of Miami with extensive teaching experience at the University of Florida, UMass Boston, and Santa Fe College, bringing a multi-institutional approach to her teaching and ensuring a scholarly and innovative methodology in communication education. Chrissy’s teaching spans a wide array of communication courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels, including Advertising, Journalism, Public Relations, Advanced Debate. Her teaching portfolio also includes courses in Interpersonal Communication, Cross-Cultural Communication, Advanced Public Speaking, Business and Professional Communication, and Leadership Communication.

Chrissy’s expertise extends to training doctoral-level GTAs and new faculty in instructional communication graduate courses such as Preparing Tomorrow’s Faculty at the UCF Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning and Oral Communication for International Teaching Assistants at UCF Global. Her focus on teaching pedagogies, communication methods, and integrated course design has earned her recognition for faculty development and innovative teaching strategies, helping to shape the next generation of educators through her commitment to faculty excellence and communication pedagogy.

Drawing upon her visual artist background, Chrissy is a Certified Adobe Creative Educator, Certified Adobe Graphic Designer, and Certified Apple Teacher.