Nicky Garsten

Dr Nicky Garsten FRSA, SFHEA, FPRCA, ChartPR

Associate Professor in Communication

Nicky has a background in strategic communications and has led teams at a top 10 global PR consultancy that won national awards with their clients.  She is a Fellow of the Public Relations Communications Association, is a Chartered PR Practitioner, and sits on a variety of national industry boards and committees. She has been an External Examiner on a variety of CIPR-accredited degree programmes, has judged international and national PR awards, and writes on reputation and leadership for Management Today.

Nicky’s research into public relations and well-being has been published in the prestigious, international journals, Public Relations Review and Corporate Communications Review. She co-edited the Routledge book, Communicating Causes: Strategic Public Relations in the Non-Profit Sector Communicating Causes with Professor Ian Bruce. Former Channel 4 Newscaster, Jon Snow, states this Routledge textbook is "a go-to book" and "much needed".

Nicky has taught communication at the University of Greenwich for over 15 years. In the 2023 NSS, the PR and Communications degree secured student satisfaction averaging over 90%, and more specifically, 98% satisfaction rate for teaching.

Nicky has contributed to change management in Greenwich Business School, particularly in relation to student employability. Nicky co-led the Personal Professional Development Curriculum Redesign. Prior to this she co-created an employability scheme, called the Greenwich Employability Passport. This initiative was adopted across the University. Thousands of students participated in the scheme.

Marketing and advertising

Responsibilities within the university
  • Significant Responsibility for Research (RSS)
  • SEBE (Scholarship Excellence in Business Education) lead with Chartered Association of Business Schools for 50 staff members’ CMBE accreditations
  • Leadership of modules at PG and UG levels in public relations, marketing and leadership development. Research and consultancy project supervision.
  • Coach, mentor and GOLD fellowship assessor
  • Co-Chair, Greenwich Business School, Learning and Teaching Festival 2021
  • Co-Leader of the Personal Professional Development (PPD) Curriculum Redesign in Greenwich Business School, (2019-2021)
  • Programme Director, BA (Hon) Public Relations and Communications, 2011-2019.
  • Greenwich Employability Passport Consultant, 2012-2015.

Awards

National Communication Association, US, ‘Honorable Mention’ (September 2026) for the Outstanding Public Relations Journal Article of 2025 category, for the paper, Garsten, N; Anton, A; Dalien, R.; Glăvan, E.  and Tibaingana, A., (2025), 'A Global Exploration of Workplace Well-being in Public Relations’. Public Relations Review, 51 (5) p. 102622

Recognition

International External Recognition

  • Advisory Board Member, Romanian Journal of Journalism and Communication (2025-present)
  • Reviewer, Public Relations Review: A Global Journal of Research and Comment (2010 – 2023).
  • Stevie Awards Judge (2022), international business awards, on PR/corporate communications and publications
  • Abstract Selection Committee Member for the International History of Public Relations Conference (2021, 2019, 2014, 2013 and 2012) University of Bournemouth
  • Guest Reviewer, Voluntary Sector Review; Journal of Further and Higher Education and Routledge books.

National External Recognition

  • Public Relations Communications Association (PRCA)
  • Chair, PRCA Charity and Non-Profit Sector Group (2025-present).

Previously member of the group’s organising committee (2016-2024).

  • Member, PRCA International University Advisory Group (2022-2024)
  • Member PRCA’s Independent Access Commission (2011-2012)
  • Chartered Institute of Public Relations:
  • Editorial Content Board member of Influence (magazine and blog) – (2023- present)
  • Editorial Podcast Board Member (2023-2025)
  • Co-chair, Mind the PRGap, an international digital conference bringing together PR practitioners, scholars and students (2021 and 2020) co-chaired with Dr Kevin Ruck, PR Academy.
  • External examining on CIPR-recognised degree programmes:
  • Cardiff University, MA in International PR and Global Communications Management (2020-2024). This was then the largest MA in PR in the UK.  The MA won the Learning and Teaching excellence award in the University of Cardiff award scheme 2022.
  • BAs in Public Relations, University of Leeds Beckett, (2013-2017),
  • BAs in Public Relations, University of Southampton Solent, (2011-2015).

Research / Scholarly interests
  • Public relations (PR)
  • Well-being and work, student experience and urban parks

Key funded projects

  • University of Greenwich, SEBE 2023 Project Grant, ‘Supporting Student Success: Establishing a Preliminary Benchmark of Students’ Use of Greenwich Park’
  • University of Greenwich, CBNA 2021 Grant, ‘Student Connectedness and Wellbeing Survey’.

Media activity
  • Anton, A.; Garsten, N, and Beneke, D.R., (2025), Re-thinking Well-being in Public Relation, Institute of Public Organizational Research Center blog, 1 Dec. URL https://instituteforpr.org/rethinking-well-being-in-public-relations-why-profession-practice-alignment-matters/
  • CIPR (2024), Influence Magazine, 75, Interviewee in feature, ‘9 Trends to Look Out For’. April.

Recent publications
  • Anton, A., Garsten, N., Benecke, D.R., Glăvan, E. and Tibaingana, A., (2025), Global insights: Workplace well-being in communications. Corporate Communication Review, 2(1), pp.12-17
  • Garsten, N; Anton, A; Dalien, R.; Glăvan, E.  and Tibaingana, A., (2025), 'A Global Exploration of Workplace Well-being in Public Relations’. Public Relations Review, 51 (5) p. 102622
  • Garsten, N., Cronin, B. and Howard, J., 2024. An exploration of PR Week UK’s framing of specialist PR identities (1985–2010). Public Relations Review, 50(4), p.102468.
  • Garsten, N. and Bruce, I., 2018.  Communicating Causes: Strategic Public Relations in the Non-Profit Sector. Routledge.
  • Garsten, N. and Bruce, I. (2018) 'Introducing Communicating Causes: Strategic Public Relations in the Non-Profit Sector'. In (eds) N. Garsten, and I. Bruce, Communicating Causes: Strategic Public Relations in the Non-Profit Sector. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Garsten, N.; Read, K.; and Yassim, M. (2018) 'Strategic Illustrations of NFP Success? An Exploration into the Evolution, Purposes and Ethics of Case Stu​dies'. In (eds) N. Garsten, and I. Bruce, Communicating Causes: Strategic Public Relations in the Non-Profit Sector. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Smith, D.H.; Lang, S.; and Garsten, N. 'NGO Communications in a One-Party State: The Context and Characteristics of Non-profit Advocacy Communications in China'. In (eds) N. Garsten, and I. Bruce, Communicating Causes: Strategic Public Relations in the Non-Profit Sector. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Garsten, N., de Quincey, D., and Bruce, I. (2016), ‘The Importance and Art of Articulating Thanks: Lessons from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)’ in Hall, S. (ed.) #FuturePRoof: Second Edition. Chapter 39.

Presentations
  • Co-Chair, 2026, PRCA Webinar, Charity Best Practice Creative Showcase, 23 July
  • Co-presenter, with Debbie West (2024) ‘Trends in Podcasting’, to the Inside Track group of communications leader. October 18.
  • Chair, Social Marketing and Artificial Intelligence Workshop, Academy of Marketing Conference 2024: Marketing: Fusing resilience and power for public value – igniting marketing’s social spirit. Cardiff Business School, University of Cardiff, 4 July
  • Garsten, N., 2024, ‘Fostering Curiosity: Partnering with Industry to Enhance Student Employability’, Greenwich Business School, Learning and Teaching Festival, 20 June.
  • Co-chair, 2023, PRCA Charity and Non-Profit Group webinar, ‘Preparing for Controversy’, 9 November
  • Chair, 2022, PRCA Charity and Non-Profit Group Webinar, ‘Securing, Analysing, Framing Research for Impactful Campaigning’, PRCA Charity and Non-profit Group. July 2022. Broadcast on PRCA TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9OTjICazcM.
  • Panel speaker, “Towards a More Inclusive and International History of Public Relations”, PRCA Americas Conference, 2nd June 2021
  • Chair, (2021) PRCA Charity and Non-Profit Group Webinar, on “Apolitical Campaigning”
  • Tsay, C. and Garsten, N. (2021) ‘PPD Curriculum Redesign: Working Together through User-Centric Collaboration’, SHIFT 2021, University of Greenwich 13th January.