Written by Darla Dunning, Asst. Opinions Editor

VSU lost a member of its community Wednesday.

Dr. Joseph Mitchell, associate professor of public relations and communication theory, died Wednesday after a lengthy illness.

Dr. Mitchell was a quirky professor with a sense of humor that came across in his syllabus.

One student shared her experience from taking his strategic design class.

“He had a lot of knowledge over the topics that he covered in my class,” Kimberly Cannon, a journalism major, said. “His syllabus was very quirky, because a section of his syllabus stated ‘If you anger this instructor, he may use you as a horcrux.’”

Another student who had a public relations writing class and a strategic design class with Dr. Mitchell shared her thoughts about his teaching.

“Dr. Mitchell put a lot of thought into his classes,” Ashely Mixon, a public relations major, said. “He came to his classes a week before he passed away, and I felt that it showed true dedication to his profession and students. I think he was very generous and willing to work with his students.”

Dr. Mitchell taught at VSU for 10 years, and his research interests included public relations, integrated marketing communication, perception and gender.