Nell Huang Horowitz

Nell Horowitz is a communication scholar and higher education leader whose research examines organizational identity, reputation, and crisis communication’s impact on stakeholder relationships.

Her work explores how organizations shape their brand identity to align with stakeholders’ values, examining the growing accessibility of business and ethical profiles while tracking the benefits of positive stakeholder attitudes, corporate reputation, and relationship building in small business environments. Her expertise in crisis communication provides critical insights into how organizations navigate reputational challenges and communicate effectively during periods of uncertainty. 

While Horowitz has examined the reputations of organizations ranging from a professional football team to dating apps, she has recently focused on reputational crisis and communication framing in higher education. With a front row seat to the California State University system’s 2023-24 employee labor contract negotiation with its largest union, she and her research partners examined the competing narratives presented by the CSU and the California Faculty Association, analyzing how these messages evolved during negotiations influenced news media coverage.  

A second area of research focuses on the changing public discourse surrounding neurodiversity and the neurodivergent movement, which has seen significant growth in the calls for representation and support for neurodivergent individuals. This research has enabled her to foster more accessible, well-informed, and inclusive classrooms and communities for people of all neurotypes.