Biography and education
Born and raised in Delhi, India, Dr. Nandini Bhalla is a distinguished scholar in mass communication. She earned her Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of South Carolina, where she developed a deep understanding of media dynamics and communication strategies. Before pursuing her Ph.D., Dr. Bhalla completed a BSc. (H) in Chemistry from the University of Delhi. She then earned an MA in Mass Communication from the Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication with a specialization in Public Relations from Indira Gandhi National Open University, also in Delhi. Additionally, she holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management with a focus on Marketing from Symbiosis Institute of Distance Learning, Pune, India.
With seven years of experience in media and communications in India, Dr. Bhalla has worked as both a journalist and a public relations consultant in various government and private organizations. Her diverse educational background and extensive professional experience make her a valuable asset in the field of mass communication.
With seven years of experience in media and communications in India, Dr. Bhalla has worked as both a journalist and a public relations consultant in various government and private organizations. Her diverse educational background and extensive professional experience make her a valuable asset in the field of mass communication.
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Featured grants
- Bhalla, Nandini (Co-Principal), Devlin, Michael Brandon (Co-Principal), Bucklin, Carrie Jo (Co-Principal), Lopez, Omar S (Co-Principal), Stephan, Karl (Co-Principal). Engineering Fit: Developing a tool to identify skills-job mismatch among engineering., Quanta Services Research Development Fund, Texas State University, $2500. (Funded: May 2024). Grant.
- Bhalla, Nandini (Principal), Ngondo, Prisca Sibongile (Supporting). Service-learning Collaboration with the University Writing Center (UWC) to Enhance Students’ Engagement, Service Learning Excellence, Texas State University, $2000. (Funded: September 2025 - Present). Grant.
- Bhalla, Nandini. Digital Ethnic Futures Consortium (DEFCon) Teaching Fellowship, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $2500. (Funded: February 2024 - September 2024). Grant.
- Bhalla, Nandini. Mini- course grant by Service Learning Excellence Program, Service Learning Excellence Program, Texas State University, Texas State University, $500. (Funded: January 2023 - May 2023). Grant.
- Bhalla, Nandini. Mini- grant [for inviting guest lectures in classes], Washington and Lee University, Institutional (Higher Ed), $640. (Funded: 2020 - 2021). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Bhalla, N., & Alharbi, K. (2024). Contactless Shopping During Health Crisis: Moderating Impact of Four Attribution-Driven Motives on Brand Equity. Journal of Promotion Management, 31(1), 72–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2024.2427050
- Bhalla, N., O’Boyle, J., & Moscowitz, L. (2024). Selling Yoga ‘Off the Mat’: A 10-year Analysis of Lifestyle Advertorials in Yoga Journal Magazine. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 48(2), 243–266. https://doi.org/10.1177/01968599221118646
- Bhalla, N., & Rozelle, A. (2023). Eco-Tourism Campaigns as a Framework for Global PR Course. Journal of Public Relations Education.
- Bhalla, N. (2022). Examining the Impact of Issue Salience, Issue Proximity, Situational Motivation, and Communicative Behaviors on Environmental CSR Outcomes. Sustainability, 14(5), 2763. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052763
- Kim, Y., & Bhalla, N. (2022). Can SMEs in the food industry expect competitive advantages from proactive CSR when CSR trade-offs exist? Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 27(2), 304–328. https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij-02-2021-0019
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Digital Ethnic Futures Consortium Scholar (DEFCon), Mellon Foundation. March 2023 - Present
- Award / Honor Recipient: Kopenhaver Fellow, Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for the Advancement of Women in Communication in association with the AEJMC Commission on the Status of Women. August 2020 - Present
- Award / Honor Recipient: Top Book Chapter Award, Spiritual Communication division, National Communication Association. November 2020 - Present
- Award / Honor Recipient: American University Top Diversity & Inclusion Award, PRSA Educators Academy (virtual). October 2020 - Present
- Award / Honor Recipient: Doug Newsom Award for Global Ethics and Diversity, Public Relations Division, AEJMC Annual Conference, San Francisco (virtual), CA. August 2020 - Present
Featured service activities
- Member
AEJMC Standing Teaching Committee
- Chair
Brown Bag Research group
- Co-Chair
Social media co-chair, AEJMC Standing Committee on Teaching
- Reviewer / Referee
Journal of Promotional management
- Other
Service Learning Excellence
- Reviewer / Referee
Journal of Public Relations Research