I am associate professor in Corporate Communication at the Department of Translation, Interpreting and Communication at Ghent University. In 2012, I obtained a joint PhD in Communication Sciences (Ghent University) and Social and Military Sciences (Royal Military Academy) on organizational crisis communication. After seven years of working as an Assistant and later on Associate Professor in Communication Sciences at the University of Leuven, I returned to Ghent University in 2020 to focus on research and teaching in Corporate Communication.
My research is mainly experimental and focuses on organizational crisis communication. Specifically, I have examined the impact of crisis response strategies (e.g., apologies, denial), organizational self-disclosure (i.e., stealing thunder), emotional crisis communication and non-verbal crisis communication. In addition to crisis communication, I also focus on the use of social media by employees. I published articles in journals such as Journal of Communication, Communication Theory, Public Relations Review, Journal of Business Research and Journal of Public Relations Research. I also published book chapters about crisis communication in The Handbook of International Crisis Communication Research, Social Media and Crisis Communication and The Global Public Relations Handbook. I am on the editorial board of Public Relations Review, Journal of Public Relations Research and Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research.
