Biography
B.A. 1980, California State University, Northridge
M.B.A. 1988, California State University, Northridge
Ed.D. 2010, University of La Verne
Dr. Lori Baker-Schena teaches writing and editing for public relations, news writing and social media techniques. She joined the CSUN faculty as a part-time instructor in the Department of Journalism in 1990, and became a full-time instructor in 2005. She joined the full-time Journalism faculty in 2007 and received tenure in 2013. She is the recipient of six CSUN Polished Apple awards for teaching excellence, and is the adviser to the CSUN chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America.
Dr. Baker-Schena has more than 30 years of experience as a reporter, copy editor and public relations practitioner. Since 1987, Baker-Schena has served as president of Baker Schena Communications, a firm specializing in medical public relations and marketing. She has held communications positions at National Medical Enterprises, Inc. (now Tenet HealthCare) and the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. She has also worked as a copy editor for the Los Angeles Daily News.
Dr. Baker-Schena has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a MBA from CSUN, and a doctorate in organizational leadership from the University of La Verne. Her research focuses on teaching teamwork to public relations students, and her expertise includes teamwork training and executive coaching. Since 2007, she has delivered more than 15 campus or statewide talks on improving pedagogy, with topics ranging from preparing a dynamic course syllabus to creating a culture of community in the classroom to helping faculty members and their students eliminate writer’s block. She has also shared her strategy for enhancing the teamwork experience in the college classroom at the International Public Relations Conference in Miami, Florida. Hundreds of Baker-Schena’s former students work in various public relations capacities throughout the country and around the world.