Carolyn White Bartoo received a B.A. in Communication from the University of Delaware in 1988, specializing in public relations and broadcasting. She then worked as a television reporter and producer for eight years at small production companies and television stations in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Florida. Later, she returned to graduate school at Antioch University for an M.S. in ecology which allowed her to professionally specialize in environmental communication. While in graduate school she received a summer fellowship at Tufts University’s Peace and Justice Studies Department on environmental justice. That was followed up with a Ted Scripps Fellowship in Environmental Journalism at the University of Michigan. Bartoo returned to the MidAtlantic area after that to work as the Public Relations manager for the Delaware Tourism Office and the Marketing Director for Delaware State Parks in which she specialized in media relations, eco-tourism, and environmental communication. Bartoo then turned toward academia working as a senior lecturer at Widener University where she revamped the public relations and advertising courses. Finally Bartoo returned to the University of Delaware’s Communication Department to join the faculty in 2009. Here she serves as the faculty advisor to the Public Relations Society of America’s pre-professional chapter and teaches public relations and advertising courses related to marketing. ​​​ 

Awards​

2022 Outstanding Teacher Award, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware​

Statement on Teaching

My personal pedagogical philosophy centers on solid theory coupled with practical, “real world” applications. I do this through a combination of service learning, cooperative learning, and interactive discussions techniques. In each class I teach, I focus on developing my students’ creative and critical thinking skills. My meta-purpose is to creatively engage each student in a dynamic academic experience that then inspires them to be a life-long learner. In five years after leaving my class, I want them to view themselves as responsible citizens who can positively impact her/his world through their persuasive communication skills.