Dane Kiambi, Ph.D., is an associate professor of public relations in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, where he has worked since 2013. His teaching portfolio includes courses in public relations strategy, campaigns, crisis communication, international and multicultural public relations, and communication research methods.

Dr. Kiambi designed and introduced both the international and multicultural public relations and crisis communication courses to the college curriculum early in his career, and he continues to refine and teach them, and all his courses, with a focus on relevance, rigor, and real-world application.

He is the author of Public Address in Africa: An Analysis of Great Speeches by African Personalities (Peter Lang, 2025), the first book to examine African public speeches as texts of rhetorical significance. The book contributes to scholarship in speech communication, rhetorical studies, and African political discourse by analyzing how persuasive strategies have been used to inspire, mobilize, and define identity across the continent and beyond.

Dr. Kiambi’s broader research focuses on international public relations and crisis communication, with an emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. He examines how organizations and governments use strategic communication to manage reputation, build relationships, and respond to communication challenges across cultural and national contexts.

He has published in high-impact journals such as Public Relations Review, Mass Communication and Society, Journalism, Journal of Communication Management, and Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, in addition to contributing chapters to edited volumes. His work received the Best Paper Award in the International Communication Division of AEJMC in 2014.

Prior to furthering his studies in the US and eventually joining academia, Dr. Kiambi spent more than eight years in both public relations and journalism in his native Kenya, including roles as a reporter for The People Daily and a media executive at the Gina Din Group, where he managed strategic communication campaigns for major brands such as Kenya Commercial Bank, Jubilee Insurance, and Diamond Trust Bank, among other clients.

At UNL, Dr. Kiambi served as faculty adviser for the student team that won first place nationally in the 2022 PRSSA Bateman Case Study Competition. Driven by his commitment to staying current with industry trends, he was selected as a 2017 Plank Educator Fellow and placed with General Motors’ communications department in Detroit, where he spent two weeks learning the latest in strategic communication to enhance his students’ classroom experience.

His excellence in teaching and mentorship has been recognized with numerous awards, including a UNL Parents Association Certificate of Recognition and the Helen DeVitt Jones Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award from Texas Tech University.

Dr. Kiambi holds a Doctor of Philosophy in media and communication from Texas Tech University, where he specialized in public relations and strategic communication. He earned both a Master of Arts in communications and a Bachelor of Philosophy in interdisciplinary studies from Miami University-Ohio. He also holds an associate degree in journalism from the Kenya Institute of Mass Communications.

Dr. Kiambi brings a global perspective to his teaching and research. He is a committed mentor and community-engaged scholar who offers pro bono consulting to nonprofit organizations on how strategic public relations can advance their missions. Outside academia, he is a proud father raising his young twin daughters and finds deep joy in storytelling, writing children’s books, and inspiring others through the journeys that have shaped his life.