Award-Winning Faculty: Rebecca Ortiz

After earning tenure in 2022, Rebecca Ortiz felt she was at a crossroads with her research, which focuses on sexual health issues, youth populations, health communication and media effects. 

So, the associate professor of advertising took a little time to carefully consider her next steps. In what direction did she want her research agenda and service work to take her in the next few years?  

Being recognized with Syracuse University’s 2024 Judith Greenberg Seinfeld Scholar Award  gave Ortiz the confidence that she was headed down the right path. The award announced in the spring highlights faculty and students engaged in excellence, creativity and innovation and encourages future contributions to society. 

“Receiving the award gave me the fuel to keep moving forward,” Ortiz said. “Sometimes you just need to hear that you’re doing a good job. …  I am thankful to Judy Seinfeld and the selection committee for honoring me in this way.” 

Ortiz arrived at Syracuse in 2016 from Texas Tech University. She teaches research and communication strategy in the Newhouse School, and her own research provides insights into how media and communications can be used to improve public health and well-being, such as preventing sexual violence or encouraging HPV vaccination.  

Her current project is a book titled “Teens, Sex, and Media Effects: Understanding Media’s Influence on Adolescent Sexuality, Sexual Health, and Advocacy,” co-edited with colleagues at Washington State University. The book, which will be available in December, highlights how the current media landscape can impact teens’ sexual and gender identity development, sexual health, and romantic and sexual relationships, as well as the implications for advocacy and education.  

The topic presents a key opportunity to think about her research in new and innovative ways because of the fast-moving media landscape, and how young people are often the ones influencing change, she said. With renewed energy, Ortiz said she is working toward her goal to continue to generate knowledge that will be useful for a wide range of audiences, including healthcare practitioners, educators, scholars and parents. 

This is the second in a series of four stories about Newhouse faculty honored by Syracuse University in 2024 for teaching and research excellence.