Quinnipiac's Hilary Fussell Sisco, of North Haven, honored with National Outstanding Educator Award

Quinnipiac University’s Hilary Fussell Sisco honored with National Outstanding Educator Award by PRSA
HAMDEN – Hilary Fussell Sisco, of North Haven, professor of public relations at Quinnipiac University, has been named the recipient of the 2025 National Outstanding Educator Award by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
“I am honored and humbled to be awarded PRSA's 2025 Outstanding Educator Award,” Fussell Sisco said. “I have been a member of PRSA for almost half my life and know the importance and the value of a public relations education as a student, teacher and scholar.”
Fussell Sisco will be formally recognized at PRSA’s annual conference, ICON 2025, which will take place Oct. 28–30 in Washington, D.C.
Presented annually, the Outstanding Educator Award honors a PRSA member with at least 20 years of experience in the public relations field who has made a significant contribution to public relations education through college or university teaching. Fussell Sisco, who joined Quinnipiac in 2008, is chair of the Department of Strategic Communications and has served as editor-in-chief of “Public Relations Journal” for several years.
“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Fussell Sisco for receiving this prestigious national recognition,” said Nadine Barnett Cosby, dean of the School of Communications. “Her dedication to teaching and mentoring embodies the very best of what we strive for at Quinnipiac. This award reflects not only her outstanding contributions to the field of public relations education but also the positive impact she has had on generations of students who are now thriving as communication professionals.”
An accomplished scholar, Fussell Sisco has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications with research focusing on nonprofit public relations, social media and crisis communications. She also serves as a trustee for the Institute of Public Relations, is an Arthur W. Page Legacy Scholar and a recipient of Quinnipiac’s 2024 Center for Excellence in Teaching Award.
Beyond her academic work, Fussell Sisco is an active leader within PRSA-affiliated boards and committees, where she continues to help shape the future of the profession.
She earned her doctorate in mass communication from the University of South Carolina, her master’s degree in corporate communication from Radford University, and her undergraduate degree in public communication from Virginia Tech.