Michelle Cadwell Blackston is a second year Ph.D. student and Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Communication at George Mason University. She holds an MA in Strategic Communication and Leadership from Seton Hall University and a BA in Journalism and Sociology from Creighton University.
Prior to her time at George Mason, Blackston built a career in communications and public affairs, working with nonprofit organizations, member associations, and think tanks. Her focus areas included environmental policy, federalism, and public health. She also was an award-winning newspaper reporter, covering beats such as healthcare, tourism, and education.
Blackston’s expertise includes writing news articles, speeches, and testimony for Congressional hearings, as well as organizing press conferences and crafting pitches, social media content, podcast and video scripts, and web content. She has collaborated with the Washington, D.C. press corps and journalists nationwide across various media platforms. Additionally, she developed a series of training workshops on speaking to the media, outreach strategies, and assessing media impact.
In her free time, Blackston enjoys running, yoga, and cycling as well as spending time with her family.