Kelli S. Burns is an associate professor and the director of undergraduate programs at the Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications at the University of South Florida, having joined in 2006. Prior to her tenure at USF, she taught at Elon University and Middle Tennessee State University and earned her PhD in mass communication from the University of Florida. She's the author of works including "Social Media: A Reference Handbook" and "Celeb 2.0: How Social Media Foster our Fascination with Popular Culture." Outside the academic realm, Kelli is a sought-after public speaker and an expert on social media topics in news stories.