Denise Bortree

Areas of Expertise

• Corporate Social Responsibility

• Nonprofit Communication

• Sustainability

• Volunteerism

Education

• Ph.D.: University of Florida
• Master's: University of Florida
• Bachelor's: Geneva College

Biography

Denise Sevick Bortree joined the communications faculty at Penn State in the fall 2007.

Bortree brings more than 10 years of practical experience to her teaching, including positions as communication manager, public relations manager and marketing manager for a number of organizations.

She received her doctorate from the University of Florida where she also earned a master's degree in mass communication and a master's of education in educational psychology.

Bortree researches and writes on nonprofit organizational communication, corporate environmental responsibility and adolescent communication. She has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, which have been published in journals such as Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Journal of Public Relations Research, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Public Relations Review, the International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, and the International Journal of Volunteer Administration. She was awarded the 2007 and 2008 Mary Merrill Memorial Award from the International Journal of Volunteer Administration for her co-authored research on volunteerism. In 2010, her article on environmental public relations was name one of the “Best of Public Relations Journal.”

Bortree was selected by the United Nations Volunteers to write a background paper for its 10-year report on volunteerism, titled "The State of the World’s Volunteerism." Her research report was integral to a chapter in the report, which was given the same name as her paper: "Volunteerism as a Force for Social Inclusion."

In 2010, she co-edited a special issue of the public relations journal PRism on nonprofit organization relationship building, and she is currently editing a special issue of the Journal of Public Relations Research on nonprofit communication. She has presented more than 30 conference papers at national and international conferences where she has won a number of research awards. Also in 2010, Bortree received the Deans' Excellence Award for Research and Creative Accomplishments from the College of Communications.

Bortree sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Public Relations Research, and she has held a number of leadership roles in the public relations division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She is currently the secretary/treasurer for the Association/Nonprofit Division of the Public Relations Society of America.

Websites

• Bellisario College of Communications Directory Page