Prior to transitioning into academia, Dr. Petry managed the corporate communication for the largest, business-to-business media company in the U.S. Upon beginning her doctoral work, she served as a graduate teaching assistant at Wayne State instructing courses in organizational communication, public speaking, business communication, and research methods. While collecting her dissertation research, Dr. Petry served as a part-time instructor at the University of Tampa, where she taught courses in public relations, organizational communication, and communication ethics.