Irene Viveros

Professor John Sloop recently published an essay in The Conversation about the cultivation of diversity in Major League Soccer. Sloop traces how apartheid, racism, and the superstar Pelé all contributed, in different ways, to this development. You can read the full essay here:… Read More

Dr. Claire Sisco King discussed celebrity culture and parasocial relationships with CNN. King focused on widely-regarded “nice” stars such as Dolly Parton and Tom Hanks. CNN reports: These “sweethearts” become symbols in American pop culture. We turn to them for inspiration, moral guidance, reliable entertainment and even solace, said Claire… Read More

Vanderbilt University invites the Nashville and campus communities to an exhibition designed to introduce the craft of debate to new audiences while exploring a timely topic. The University of Mississippi will team up with Vanderbilt to host a debate exhibition at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, in Wilson Hall,… Read More

Dr. Claire King has published an essay that focuses on the ascent of Nashville’s bachelorette party scene. The essay, “‘Bach, Please’: Nashville bachelorette party culture’s investments in white Southern femininity,” was published in the journal Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies. Professor King writes: In the… Read More

John Sloop, professor of communication studies, has published a piece in The Conversation about the World Cup, national identity, and fan cultures. Professor Sloop notes that U.S.-based soccer fans are often cheering for players whose national identities are different from their own. This is a stark contrast to the… Read More

Dr. Anjali Vats will deliver a talk to the Department of Communication Studies on December 1, from 4:15-5:30, in Commons Center 235. Vats’s talk, “Owning Your Masters (Taylor’s Version): Postfeminist Tactical Copyright and the Erasure of Black Intellectual Labor,” considers Taylor Swift’s decision to rerecord her master records, beginning… Read More

“I came from a very small town in Alabama, so being able to meet people from different cultures, with different life experiences and opinions, exposed me to a lot more of the world,” said Oswalt, who graduated with a double major in psychology and communication… Read More

The Department of Communication Studies was proud to sponsor Dr. Roxane Gay’s keynote address at the Rhetoric Society of America’s 20th Biennial Conference in Baltimore. Dr. Gay is trained as a rhetorician and is best known for her popular books, Bad Feminist, Difficult Women, and Hunger. She… Read More

Bohyeong Kim, assistant professor of communication studies, has been named a Dean’s Faculty Fellow by the Vanderbilt College of Arts and Science. The Dean’s Faculty Fellows Program launched in 2018 to support untenured faculty in their research, scholarship, and creative expression. Faculty are selected because of their… Read More

The Wild Alaska Pollock tasting event, hosted by Communication Studies students in Dr. Courtney Travers’ Persuasion class, has been featured in an article published in the Tennessean and syndicated in Yahoo News. The article was authored by Suzanne Herron, the Sustainability Coordinator for Vanderbilt Campus Dining. The story documents how… Read More

Vanderbilt Debate this summer traveled to Paris, France and Helsinki, Finland. In Paris, Vanderbilt competed in the Transatlantic Dialogues on climate change. Arguing for increasing investments in sponge cities, the team finished in second place. The team also had the opportunity to explore Paris, including trips to Versailles, The Louvre,… Read More

Professor Claire King was quoted in a Washington Post article about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s recent wedding. You can read the story here. Read More

Dr. Jeff Bennett appeared on Design Observer‘s podcast “The Futures Archive” to discuss innovations surrounding the insulin pump. The episode explores how acts of care get “designed into our everyday lives — beyond medical procedures and technology, into our relationships, our schedules, our lives.” You can listen… Read More

The Department of Communication Studies was proud to sponsor Dr. Roxane Gay’s keynote address at the Rhetoric Society of America’s 20th Biennial Conference in Baltimore. Dr. Gay is trained as a rhetorician and is best known for her popular books, Bad Feminist, Difficult Women, and Hunger. She… Read More

Dr. Claire King appeared on the WSMV program Openline with Rhori Johnston to discuss parasocial relationships and cultural fascination with celebrities, including the recent interest in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial. See the entire interview at the link below. Dr. Claire King on Celebrity… Read More

The Department of Communication Studies hosted its biannual Houston Symposium on Wednesday, April 27. Senior Andres Hernandez took first place with his critique of the attention economy. Senior Blair McDonald placed second for her speech on prison recidivism in Tennessee. And sophomore Payton Frankiewicz placed third for her presentation about… Read More

The Department of Communication Studies invites you to the Spring 2022 Houston Symposium on Wednesday, April 27, from 6-8 p.m. in the Commons Multipurpose Room (235/237). Students enrolled in our Media Studio course will present research that they’ve conducted throughout the semester. The first hour will be dedicated to interacting… Read More

The VU Debate Team will host a screening of Debaters without Borders on Friday, March 11 in Wilson Hall 103. Admission is free. For more information, see this flyer. Debaters Without Borders is a one hour documentary about one man’s quest to help students in Cameroon improve their debating skills in… Read More

Dr. Courtney Travers’s work on the aesthetics of the presidency were featured in a recent Politico article about the Biden administration. You can read the entire article here. Read More

Virtual learning for Vanderbilt debate students opened doors halfway around the world this spring, as a friendly virtual competition with the Rwanda National Debate Team brought deeper opportunities to learn about that nation’s genocide in 1994. Vanderbilt students Zacarias Negron and Ellie Hooey recently debated the Rwanda National Debate Team… Read More