Profile

Courtney Hunt Munther is a senior instructor of public relations who joined the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication faculty in 2014. Her expertise is in strategic writing and media relations, skills that she first honed as a journalist, then as a public relations practitioner for a nonprofit.

Before joining the SOJC faculty, Munther served as the lead writer and media spokesperson for St. Joseph Health, a Catholic health system now known as Providence St. Joseph Health. In this role, she helped the health system weather crises and develop stronger ties with stakeholders through media relations, internal and community relations, strategic planning, crisis communication, and donor relations. Prior to that, she was a reporter and features editor for a daily newspaper in Northern California.

At UO, Munther enjoys helping students identify and hone their natural talents and interests. Her classes are highly interactive, often involving working through scenarios that aspiring public relations practitioners will encounter in the industry. She brings energy and enthusiasm for the field of public relations to the classroom, and in 2019 she won the Jonathan Marshall Award for Innovative Teaching in Journalism and Communication.

Munther is a big believer in creating opportunities for students to learn outside the classroom. In 2016, she co-founded Writing Central, an innovative peer writing program that helps SOJC students grow their writing and critical thinking abilities in an inclusive space. She also developed and led the PR and Advertising in London GEO program in 2022 and has been involved in leading experiential public relations programs to San Francisco. In addition to teaching undergraduate classes in Eugene, she has taught at the Strategic Communication Master's Program in Portland.