Dr. Jeff Hunter is the Associate Department Head for the Department of Journalism and Media Studies and the Creative Media Institute at New Mexico State University, where he teaches strategic communication through hands-on, experiential learning. In his work, he lends his voice as a creative professional and communication scholar to conversations about building AI responsibly.

Before entering academia, Dr. Hunter spent 15 years as a working creative and strategic communicator — serving as a creative director, senior web designer, and communications and marketing director for national nonprofits, a major media company, and a large academic health system. That career took him from brand storytelling and digital design to campaign strategy and audience engagement, giving him a firsthand understanding of how creative work shapes the stories people believe and the actions they take.

That experience now informs his research, which explores the power of storytelling — how narratives are constructed, shared, and used to connect communities and shape understanding.

Dr. Hunter holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in media and communication from Texas Tech University and a B.A. in communication from Harding University.