Journalism Department Chair Rodrigo Zamith has announced the hiring of Sarah Rose Stack, the newest faculty member in the rapidly-growing Public Relations concentration. Stack brings more than 15 years of experience in the public relations field and a love of UMass Amherst to her new role.
“UMass has been and remains an integral part of my life. As an undergraduate at UMass, I developed independence, self-advocacy, a love of learning, relentless curiosity and a strong sense of accountability,” Stack said. “I am honored to be part of such a prestigious institution that fosters growth, empowers students to achieve great things and feels like home.”
Stack joins professors Jennie Donohue and Ah Ram Lee in the Public Relations concentration. Stack will begin her time at UMass this fall teaching two sections of Writing for Public Relations and one section of Introduction to Public Relations.
"We are thrilled to have Sarah Rose join our department. She brings more than a decade of industry experience as well as an infectious passion for supporting students and promoting social justice,” Zamith said. “I have no doubt her classes will be insightful, engaging and connected to the cutting edge of the PR industry.”
Sarah Rose earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Arts degree in Communication and Media Studies from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining the Journalism Department, Stack served as the Director of Marketing and Recruitment at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. She also co-founded her own company, The Stack Group, a consulting firm that has helped hundreds of clients. Stack also worked as the Director of Business Integration at an internet retailer from 2008 - 2020.
When she’s not teaching, Stack loves to share her love of dance with the world. She danced professionally with the Boston Cannons and at the Multicultural Arts Center and is a seasoned choreographer and dance teacher.
“I firmly believe that having hobbies enhances professional skills because they give your brain a break to do something different and foster unique perspectives,” Stack said. “There have been countless times when I've written a script for a voiceover or a short-form video that I subconsciously tapped into my musical and dance brain to visualize the speech tempo and space. This is not to say that you have to be a musician or dancer to be good at communication or public relations- but that finding the unique parts of yourself can be your biggest superpower.”