In a presentation coordinated by the Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute as part of their continued partnership with Tinker Air Force Base, Katerina Tsetsura, Ph.D., Gaylord Family Professor of Public Relations and Strategic Communication and associate professor at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, presented “Information Dynamic and National Security Implications of the Russia-Ukraine War,” to the Air Force Sustainment Center’s annual leadership summit. The summit included more than 50 military and civilian senior leaders from across the command’s operating locations in Oklahoma, Utah, Georgia and Illinois. AFSC has over 40,000 employees worldwide and is responsible for major repair of aircraft, engines and missiles, as well as the global supply chain, for the US Air Force.
During her presentation, Tsetsura shared the results of her latest research on mediated disruption of shared space using examples of strategic communication that Western, Ukrainian and Russian governments use to illustrate information dynamics. She also shared findings from work that was recently published in her edited book, "Strategic Communications in Russia: Public Relations and Advertising."
“This research is important to understand because information often shapes our reality, and perception becomes reality,” Tsetsura said. “We must understand how allies and adversaries think and communicate with one another, and how this communication shapes hard power decision-making processes.”
The ongoing collaboration between the University of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute, Tinker Air Force Base and the Air Force Sustainment Center highlights initiatives that combine academic research and innovation with military acumen and real-world implementation.
“This relationship between the University of Oklahoma and the Air Force Sustainment Center reflects the payoff of close academic-defense partnerships,” Lt Gen (ret.) Gene Kirkland, OADII executive director, said. “OADII is proud to continue working alongside AFSC to help ensure our state and nation maintain our global military and intellectual advantage.”
