Tim Penning, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, is a Professor in the School of Communications at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, where he teaches courses in public relations. His teaching focuses on PR management, PR writing, and advertising and public relations ethics and law. His research interests include nonprofit public relations, public relations and organizational management, influences on public relations content, and PR history and ethics.

He also is a public relations consultant, calling his business Penning Ink. He writes a blog about advertising and public relations also called Penning Ink, available on WordPress and Substack.
He has worked as a staff writer and editor for Traverse Magazine and Advance Newspapers. Following his career in journalism, Dr. Penning was communications director for an international mission agency, media relations manager for Grand Valley State University, and public relations director for the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. He wrote a monthly column for the Grand Haven Tribune for more than 20 years.

He was won several awards for his public relations practice and academic research and was named “Distinguished Practitioner” by the West Michigan Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America in 2001, 2005, and 2014. He is active with the Public Relations Society of America, having served as president of the West Michigan chapter in 2004 and on its board for seven years. He also advised the GVSU student chapter of PRSSA from 2001- 2013. He co-chaired several national PRSA committees on accreditation in public relations (APR). He is a member of the PRSA College of Fellows as well as the Arthur W. Page Society, the Phi Kappa Phi National Honors Society as well as the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Society.

Academically, Dr. Penning has a B.A., Journalism, Central Michigan University; M.A., Organizational Communication, Western Michigan University, and a Ph.D. in Media and Information Studies from Michigan State University.