Lauren Klinger is currently working with Poynter NewsU as an interactive learning producer. She holds master’s degrees in American politics from the University of Pittsburgh and mass communications from the University of South Florida. She taught mass communications and journalism courses at the University of Tampa and USF Tampa before joining the NewsU team.

Gilbert is an assistant professor teaching media product design. He uses a human centered design process in addition to usability techniques to create innovative media products or improve existing ones, such as tablet/smartphone apps, web-based tools and other news media. Gilbert applies usability testing and ethnography study of users to ensure successful news consumption, creation and distribution experiences. He also teaches interactive storytelling, web and print design tools and techniques.

Elissa Nauful is founder and CEO of Ballywho Social, one of Florida’s fastest growing social media agencies. Ballywho Social helps enterprise brands who wish to increase buzz and build awareness through organic, grassroots expansion to targeted social campaigns across multiple platforms. Brands look to Ballywho Social to help them build loyal, almost cult-like followings for their brands and businesses.

A new kind of company, Ballywho Social uses its revolutionary business model and custom tool — Laicos — to create and curate social content.

Vidisha Priyanka is currently working with Poynter NewsU as an Interactive Learning Producer.

Vidisha worked as Planning Editor for digital video at TBO.com, media partner of The Tampa Tribune and WFLA-TV, News Channel 8. She also worked as an Audience Editor and News and Special Projects producer for almost 10 years and helped focus resources on serving news audience. Vidisha has a Masters degree in Journalism from the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg.

Andrew Beaujon reports on the media for Poynter Online. He was previously arts editor at TBD.com and managing editor of Washington City Paper. He’s the author of the 2006 book “Body Piercing Saved My Life,” about Christian rock and evangelical Christian culture. He lives in Alexandria, Va., with his family.

Vanessa Fox is the author of Marketing in the Age of Google: Your Online Strategy IS Your Business (Wiley, May 2010), which has been called the “first must-read-to-survive business book of the twenty-first century.”

She is the founder and CEO of Nine By Blue, which provides training, custom reporting, and strategic consulting for organizations to help them better connect with customers through search.

Michael is responsible for educating PR Newswire staff and customers about the role emerging media, such as RSS, blogs, social networks, search engines, and other emerging technologies, play in public relations and marketing. Michael joined PR Newswire in 1998. He immersed himself in the technology industry in and around the Washington, D.C. area working with clients such as XM Satellite Radio, AOL and the Consumer Electronics Association. In 2003, Michael was named the National Technology Markets Specialist, and eventually led to being named PR Newswire’s first Director of Emerging Media.

Vicky leads Audience Development for PR Newswire, a UBM company.

Sarah’s responsibilities include product development, managing PR Newswire’s social media programs and blogging for the Beyond PR blog, where she writes about digital PR, social media and SEO. In previous roles with the company, she has managed the core wire service, including SEO, content syndication, audience development, media relations, customer reporting and targeted distribution products. Sarah is a frequent and well received speaker on the subjects of social media, search engine optimization and PR measurement.

Like most other journalists these days, Joshua Gillin lives in constant fear of being laid off, downsized, reassigned to a bureau in East Bumville or otherwise reallocated.That’s why his job duties read like a J-School adviser plan: He is a reporter, columnist, celebrity gossip blogger, social media director, copy editor, page designer and Web editor for tbt*, the Tampa Bay Times’ free commuter tabloid. He has recently taken on duties fact-checking statements from elected officials, committees formulating property tax legislation and those annoying election-year fliers that clog your mailbox for PolitiFact Florida. You know, for fun.