New Faces of the A.Q. Miller School

Oct. 1, 2025

The A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication has welcomed three new faculty members this fall. These faculty members bring a breadth of research, professional and teaching experience to the classroom. Read more below to learn about them.

Spencer O'Daniel Spencer O'Daniel photo

Instructor and Director of Collegian Media Group

Spencer O’Daniel (M.A. in Communications, Wichita State University) returned to Collegian Media Group and the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication in July 2025. O’Daniel has advised high school and collegiate student media for over a decade, instructing and coaching students in newspaper, yearbook, magazine, television, podcasting and other content-creation mediums.

O'Daniel recently served as the associate director of student media at Texas A&M University. Prior to his two years leading their student media and publications, O'Daniel spent nine years as a high school adviser at two high schools in the Wichita area, where he helped Wichita West earn a 6A Sweepstakes Kansas Scholastic Press Association journalism championship, in addition to building a combined journalism and media program at Maize High School and Maize South High School into a national powerhouse qualifying for several National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker awards.

During his first tenure at K-State from 2017-2019, O'Daniel served as the assistant director of student media for the Collegian Media Group, where he helped Manhappenin' magazine and Royal Purple yearbook grab more exposure on campus, increased book sales, and several state and national awards.

O'Daniel has advised student media for 13 years, and is one of the only student media advisers in the country to win Pacemaker awards at the high school and collegiate level, in addition to six different publications earning the distinction. O'Daniel is also highly involved in local, state and national student press associations such as the Kansas Scholastic Press Association, Texas Association of Journalism Educators, Texas
Interscholastic Press Association, College Media Business Association Managers, Associated Collegiate Press and the College Media Association. Additionally, O’Daniel is recognized as a master journalism educator by the Journalism Education Association.

Dawson Wagner Dawson Wagner photo

Instructor and Assistant Director of Wildcat Electronic Media

Dawson Wagner (M.S. in Mass Communications, Kansas State University) serves as Assistant Director of Wildcat Electronic Media at Kansas State University, where he helps guide the integration of Wildcat 91.9 FM and Channel 8 News into a unified, student-driven multimedia platform. A K-State graduate with a master's degree in mass communications, his research explores how Gen Z consumes and creates content on social media.

Dawson teaches courses in audio production, podcasting, video production, and multimedia storytelling, with a focus on applied learning and cross-platform creativity. He has produced award-winning student projects at the state and national level and is a certified Part 107 Remote Pilot and Videographer for Wagnair Media. Dawson continues to mentor students as they develop hands-on skills in news, sports, and creative media.

Dawson's work reflects his passion for building collaborative environments where students learn by doing and prepare to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving media industry.

Sunha Yeo Sunha Yeo photo

Assistant Professor

Sunha Yeo (Ph.D., Ewha Womans University; Ph.D., University of Oklahoma) is a scholar and educator in the Advertising & Public Relations program at Kansas State University. Prior to joining K-State, she taught public relations and public diplomacy in Seoul, South Korea, as an adjunct and invited professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (International Studies Department) and Ewha Womans University (Communication Department).

Yeo’s research focuses on strategic communication management, international public relations, public diplomacy, and crisis communication. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, her research has expanded to include the impact of digitalization on public relations and communication behaviors of digital publics. Her works have been published in reputable journals such as Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (JMCQ), American Behavioral Scientist, Media and Communication, and Place Branding and Public Diplomacy.

Yeo brings 11 years of experience in international public relations and diplomacy. She collaborated with organizations such as the UN and UNESCO, as well as governments and research institutions worldwide, and her efforts in enhancing international communication were recognized with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Award in South Korea (Award #7981). She has advised various governmental entities, including the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has delivered numerous special lectures at diplomatic missions and universities around the world.

With a multicultural background shaped by growing up in both Germany and South Korea — and academic training rooted in both Eastern and Western traditions — Yeo brings a global perspective to her undergraduate and graduate courses at the Miller School. She is passionate about guiding students to apply what they learn to real-world situations and challenges them to explore innovative approaches that reflect the complexities of today’s world, such as understanding the evolving role of new technologies in communication. She also provides career-oriented advice to support their professional growth.