Profile

Drawing from a strong humanities background–including cultural studies, folklore studies, and creative approaches to writing–my methodological orientation is conjunctural. I explore how things connect together; how consequences/accidents of history give rise to norms, beliefs, and assumptions that translate into actions at the individual and societal level. The purpose of the work is to identify what is happening, why things are that way, what consequences exist for whom, and what should be done in response. 

Recurring areas of interest include the ethics of amplification (“to share or not to share”), ambivalent play and humor, the connections between pop culture and politics, public debate and the rhetoric of controversy, the power of narratives to shape belief and identity, and how mental health and overall wellness impact how we communicate and what media we watch, listen to, love, and rail against. Specific research topics have included trolling (including its political articulations), political memes, best practices for reporting on false and harmful information, best practices for navigating difficult political conversations, digital ethics and literacy, and histories of rightwing media. 

In the Media Studies program at SOJC, I teach Intro to Media Studies, Media Ethics (with a true crime focus), Cross Cultural Monster Narratives, and courses on elections during presidential and midterm election cycles (including the 2024 presidential election). I am a core faculty member in the Folklore Program.