Pierpont Professors Bring Industry Knowledge to the Classroom

Education has been a longstanding cornerstone at Pierpont Communications, with employees investing in continued education and professional development, and numerous Pierponters teaching university classes outside of the office over the years.

This semester CEO Phil Morabito, Vice President of Digital Strategy Chris Ferris, Ph.D., Executive Counsel Terry Hemeyer, and Account Supervisor David Gonzalez are continuing to carry that legacy, instructing classes at the University of Houston, Rice Business, and the University of Texas at Austin.

Morabito is an adjunct professor at the University of Houston, teaching Integrated Communication Strategies. This course provides a graduate-level look at all communications tools as part of a total marketing strategy, taking an overview approach to combining the elements of complete, effective communications in meeting marketing objectives. Morabito earned his Bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Charleston and his MBA from the University of South Florida.

Ferris is a lecturer in Digital Marketing and Management at Rice Business. His class with MBA students addresses digital marketing tactics and strategies in business, including understanding digital marketing channels, developing a comprehensive digital strategy and measuring digital marketing efforts. He has a Master’s in Communication from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Health Policy from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Also at Rice Business, Hemeyer leads the Corporate Crisis Management Strategies class, in which MBA students study the crisis and issue management through practical application, drawing from numerous current and recent real-world situations. This semester he taught classes alongside Senior Vice President Chris Jones, who has a proven history of aiding clients’ crisis management, response, and planning efforts.

Hemeyer also teaches Integrated Communication Strategies at the University of Texas at Austin, which covers current communications disciplines, including public relations, public affairs, corporate communication, media relations, community outreach, crisis management, and more. His education includes the Stanford University graduate business school executive program, the Harvard University case study program, a Master’s in Communication from the University of Denver, and a Bachelor’s in Education from The Ohio State University.

Gonzalez is an adjunct professor at the University of Houston where he teaches two senior-level communications courses – Entrepreneurial Communication and the Social Impact of New Information Technology. In his Entrepreneurial Communication class students develop a clear understanding of the differences between strategy and tactics by servicing and addressing real clients and communications issues. The class is modeled after and run like a public relations agency. Students in his Social Impact of New Information Technology class study and analyze the cultural and social impact of contemporary communication and information technology. He has a Master’s in Public Relations and a Bachelor’s in Corporate Communications from the University of Houston.