Spotlight

Dr. John Sloop was recently named the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at a ceremony led by Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Provost Cybele Raver. Dr. Sloop was just one of two recipients from the College of Arts and Science to receive this distinction. It is also… Read More

The Department of Communication Studies welcomed to Vanderbilt two renowned scholars to discuss the impact of influencers on contemporary American culture. Dr. Sarah Banet-Weiser, the Walter H. Annenberg Dean of the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Grant Bollmer, an Associate… Read More

Professors Isaac West, John Koch, and ML Sandoz were honored with awards at the National Communication Association’s annual convention. Professor West was presented with the Randy Majors Award, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender scholarship in Communication… Read More

Communication Studies faculty Max Dosser and Isaac West recently facilitated public discussions with two noteworthy artists. Professor Dosser interviewed actor Gavin Casalegno, who stars as Jeremiah Fisher in the television series The Summer I Turned Pretty. As reported by the Vanderbilt Hustler, Dosser asked Casalegno about everything… Read More

“I hope to meet you all in heaven, both Black and White.” According to Hannah, one of the enslaved persons by Andrew Jackson’s bedside, these were the last words of the former president before he died in his bedroom at The… Read More

The Department of Communication Studies celebrates the publication of Professor Bohyeong Kim’s new book Critically Capitalist: The Spirit of Asset Capitalism in South Korea. The work is an ethnographic study of South Korea’s lay investors and aspiring millionaires that demonstrates how the country’s capitalism thrives on… Read More

Over winter break, The Vanderbilt Debate Team traveled to Panama City, Panama for the World Universities Debating Championship. This is an annual event where the top British Parliamentary Debate teams in the world compete for the title of world champion. At this competition, Vanderbilt debated schools from Africa, Asia, Europe,… Read More

Conflict and communication breakdowns are often connected to poor listening. Perhaps this is unsurprising. Whether due to being distracted, jumping to conclusions, or thinking about how to respond to our interlocutor, many of us can struggle to be good listeners. Effective listening may prove especially challenging when we’re interacting with… Read More

Interior of Wightman Chapel. The Civil Rights Movement has been described as a religious phenomenon. Many of the Movement’s leaders were ministers, and many more people were inspired to participate in the Movement due to their religious beliefs. While religion motivated many individuals to join the struggle for civil rights,… Read More

The People’s President or King Andrew? Andrew Jackson remains one of the most complex presidents in U.S. history. In his Jackson biography, American Lion, historian Jon Meacham writes, “[Jackson] was the most contradictory of men.” The same man who championed democracy for commoners and saved an Indian orphan from the… Read More

Dr. Isaac West was recently awarded the Jeffrey Nordhaus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. The Jeffrey Nordhaus Award was established in 1982 by a gift from Katherine Stumb Nordhaus and George Nordhaus in memory of their son, Jeffrey, who was a victim of an airplane crash in… Read More

Dr. Claire Sisco King recently discussed celebrity and meme culture in a news interview with Yahoo Entertainment. In this interview, Professor King focuses on the multitude of factors that contribute to the virality of popular ‘sad Affleck’ memes that center on paparazzi images of the Oscar-winning actor, Ben Affleck. Professor… Read More

The Civil Rights Movement is sometimes described as a religious phenomenon. Many of the Movement’s leaders were ministers, and many more individuals were inspired to participate in the Movement because of their religious beliefs. While religion motivated many church members to join the struggle for civil rights, most churches were… Read More

The Department of Communication Studies celebrates the publication of two books written by faculty members Claire Sisco King and John Sloop. In May, Professor Sloop published Soccer’s Neoliberal Pitch: The Sport’s Power, Profit, and Discursive Politics with the University of Alabama Press. 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

“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

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