Faculty
Research
Drs. Horowitz and Furey Publish Study on Media and Neurodiversity
Communication professors Dr. Nell Horowitz and Dr. Lauren Furey, with former student Hailey Peterson, published an article titled “Exploring the Media Discourse of Neurodiversity and Neurodivergent Individuals” on Taylor & Francis Online. September 2024. ...
Dr. Sekani Robinson Receives Prestigious Mellon Programs Fellowship
Dr. Sekani Robinson, assistant professor of sociology, was awarded the six-month 2025 Career Enhancement Fellowship for Junior Faculty by Mellon Programs. The fellowship supports early-career scholars in advancing their research and scholarship. February 2025.
Dr. Aishwary Kumar Launches The Democracy Institute
Dr. Aishwary Kumar established and launched The Democracy Institute in CLASS this academic year. Supported by The Teagle Foundation, the Institute’s platform is now live and available to peer institutions nationwide at thedemocracyinstitute.org.
Dr. Sunny Lie Examines Stories of Hakka Chinese Indonesian Marriage Migration
Dr. Sunny Lie, associate professor of communication, published new research on marriage migration between Hakka Chinese Indonesian women and Taiwanese men. The study explores how these cross-border marriages are experienced and narrated over time in Asia.
Dr. Amy Dao Presents Research on COVID-19 and Multigenerational Households
Dr. Amy Dao presented her research, “How did multigenerational households mitigate infection risks during the COVID-19 Pandemic?” at the Society for Applied Anthropology meetings in Santa Fe on March 28, 2024. The project involved undergraduates in her ANT4900...
Dr. Sahar Derakhshan published article with UCLA researchers
Dr. Sahar Derakhshan, assistant professor of Geography, and UCLA researchers published a study in Natural Hazards showing that pedestrians don’t change routes to seek shade during extreme heat. Using smartphone and LiDAR data, the research urges targeted shade in hi...
Communication and Nutrition Faculty Collaborate on Plant-Based Meat Access Project
Drs. Denisse Vasquez-Guevara and Ivana Cvetkovic (Communication) will co-lead a multidisciplinary project with faculty from Nutrition and Food Science to improve access to plant-based meat for diverse communities. Funded by CPP’s SIRG program. Spring 2024.
Dr. Alex Madva has received an NEH writing fellowship
Dr. Alex Madva, associate professor of philosophy and director of CCEP, received an NEH writing fellowship to author a book on misinformation and belief. His project blends cognitive science and humanistic research to explore why misinformation spreads and how we form bel...
Dr. Andrea Smith and Alum Co-Author Study on OBGYN TikTok Content Post-Roe
Dr. Andrea Smith, assistant professor of Communication, and recent Communication graduate Anika Ausness-Ayres co-authored an article titled “My video, my choice: A quantitative content analysis of U.S. OBGYN TikTok videos in the Post-Roe Era,” published in Wom...
Explore Books by CLASS Faculty
Creativity in Virtual Teams: Key Components for Success (Second Edition)
In this newly revised second edition, Jill Nemiro – an expert in organizational psychology and virtual teamwork – offers readers a well-researched model, along with a series of diagnostic tools, reflection questions, checklists, and exercises for attaining high levels of creativity in virtual teams through five key components – design, climate, resources, norms and protocols, and continual assessment and learning. This second edition features updates in contemporary technology and how they are used in virtual environments. In addition, a new chapter has been added on virtual teams in higher education.
Life in the Middle: Marginalized Moderate Senators in the Era of Polarization
Dr. Neilan S. Chaturvedi, associate professor of political science, "argues that the belief in the powerful, pivotal moderate neglects their electoral circumstances and overestimates their legislative power."
Louder Than Words
Lorena Turner, Communication lecturer, co-authored Louder Than Words with communication alumnus Alan Reyes to explore the intersection of visual communication and public relations. The book examines public relations theories, graphic design history, and the fundamentals of creating effective visual communication projects.
La Banda Mas Chingon en Wyoming
Jessie M. Vallejo, Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology, arranged, recorded, and released a bilingual cover of "The Best God Damn Band in Wyoming" ("La Banda Más Chingón en Wyoming") with Dr. Julian Saporiti (aka No-No Boy) and Smithsonian Folkways. CPP students and alumni were included on the recording, and Dr. Vallejo published accompanying scores and teaching materials for music educators.
Mad Scholars: Reclaiming and Reimagining the Neurodiverse Academy
Shayda Kafai and Melanie Jones highlight academics who embrace the identity of “Mad scholar” as universities rethink mental health approaches. Through twenty-three essays, they show how neurodivergent scholars’ work and how their experiences are richer because of their differences.
California and the Politics of Disability
Eileen Wallis, Professor of History, explores the political, legal, medical, and social battles that led to the widespread institutionalization of Californians with disabilities from the gold rush to the 1970s. The book examines how, by the early twentieth century, most American states had specialized facilities dedicated to both the care and control of individuals with disabilities.
