Associate dean for undergraduate studies
Associate professor

M.A., University of Northern Colorado, Greeley
Graduate, Air War College
Graduate, Air Command and Staff College
A.B., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Napoleon Byars is associate dean for undergraduate studies and teaches Public Information Strategies, Crisis Communication, and Principles of Advertising and Public Relation courses in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He is director of the Chuck Stone Program for Diversity & Education in Media and director of the UNC National Security Fellowship Program.

Previously Byars was the director of policy and communications for the Air Force Association. Prior to that he was president of Creative Communications Works in Fairfax, Va. Byars was also an Air Force lieutenant colonel and public affairs officer. He has a broad background in government communications and served as public affairs officer to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon and deputy publisher for Pacific Stars and Stripes daily newspaper in Tokyo. He was also the Air Force National Affairs Division Chief and responsible for integrating marketing programs for public affairs offices in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Byars has conducted media relations and crisis communication workshops in China and Russia and has lectured at the AFA National Air & Space Conference, appeared on the O’Reilly Factor, and been interviewed on National Public Radio. He has written and lectured broadly on public information and national security affairs and the evolving phenomenon of digital governance. He conducts communication workshops for the Institute for Defense and Business in Chapel Hill. His book chapter on “Better Websites, Better Government” is featured in The Practice of Government Public Relations scheduled for release in April 2011.

He is a recipient of the David Brinkley Teaching Excellence Award and judges numerous communication program competitions and writing contests. Byars’ military service awards and decorations include the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Legion of Merit. The Aerospace Education Foundation named him a General Jimmy Doolittle Fellow for his achievements in advancing public understanding of aerospace power.

Office phone: 919.962.1204
Office location: Carroll 224
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