Teaching
#social media #news production #data journalism
#computational/quantitative methods #media effects #communication theories and methods
#political comm and public opinion #health communication and tech #communicatin ethics
Embedded Files
As an instructor, I have incorporated my research into various courses, including 'Technology & Health Communication' and 'Political Communication & Public Opinion.'
My teaching portfolio also includes courses on media literacy and ethics, such as 'Communication Ethics' and 'Media and Society,' along with journalism-focused classes, including 'Fundamental Issues in Journalism.'
Additionally, I have taught 'Health Comm Seminar (Data science),' 'Social Media Journalism,' and 'Statistics for Journalists,' which delve into data analytics.
I have enabled students to hone their critical thinking, project management, and oral and written communication skills. Upon request, I can provide evidence of my teaching effectiveness in the form of student evaluations.
Howard Univesity, Washington, DC (Assistant Professor, 2023-current)
Assistant Professor
CCMS 730 Health Communication Seminar: Data science (2025 Spring) This course equips students with the skills to access, organize, and analyze data for health communication research. Students will evaluate diverse data sources—including social media posts, news articles, and public health surveillance data—to conduct original research aimed at understanding and explaining communication phenomena. The first seven weeks focus on health data science, introducing R software and computational methods such as using APIs and data scraping to collect digital media data and performing basic textual analyses. The course also explores mixed-methods approaches, integrating computational techniques with qualitative methods such as thematic analysis, interviews, focus groups, and ethnography. By the end of the course, students will have developed their ability to work with data while adhering to ethical research standards. They will be expected to produce a conference-quality research paper demonstrating their analytical and methodological skills.
CCMS750 Communication Theory and Research Foundations (2024 Fall) This class is designed to provide an overview of mass communication theory and research, with a focus on audience and effects theories. It examines the development and progression of theoretical debates, the impact of media on individuals and society, and the relationship of communication theories to culture. The course aims to help students develop their own perspectives on mass communication, understand various theoretical approaches and their implications and limitations, and explore the relationship between theory and research. By the end of the semester, students will have developed their own perspectives on different theories, enhanced their skills in academic reading, analysis, and writing, and be prepared to design a research program for their graduate work.
CCMS722 Political Communication & Public Opinion (2024 Spring, 2025 Spring): This graduate seminar offers an in-depth exploration of theoretical perspectives and research methods related to the impact of communication on public opinion, political processes, and the functioning of democracy. Our discussions will begin with an examination of the contested nature of public opinion, its measurement strategies, and the various perspectives on how media shape public opinion. The course will also cover the democratic consequences of traditional and emerging media, including polarization, political knowledge, and civic engagement. Readings will consist of an interdisciplinary collection, incorporating different scientific methods.
SCOM130 Ethical Issues in Communications (2024 Spring): This course provides students with an overview of one of our most important systems of integrity: our ethical values. We will explore a wide range of ethical issues and problem-solving in communications, offering a critical perspective on historical and modern ethical issues. Students will engage in discussions that focus on the ethics of mass media, using cases from pop culture, news, and commentaries to connect these issues with the appropriate set of moral and ethical guidelines. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to think critically and ethically. By the end of the semester, students will have established an ethical foundation for decision-making in journalism, advertising, public relations, and media entertainment, thus fostering lifelong ethical values.
CCMS727 Technology & Health Communication (2023 Fall): This Ph.D. seminar examines the role of communication and media technology in shaping people’s beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors in public health. It helps students address contemporary challenges and both the positive and negative impacts of emerging technology on health communication. The discussion encompasses topics such as privacy concerns arising from technology and health data, beliefs about health misinformation, the impact of algorithms and big data on public health, health disparities, and the design of effective health campaigns for marginalized communities.
The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX (Lab Instructor, Teaching Assistant, 2019-2022)
Teaching Assistant
J301F Fundamental Issues in Journalism (2022 Fall): This course helps students acquire tools for judging the accuracy and credibility of news coverage, and knowing what is news content, what is opinion/commentary, and what is useless or false information. It also guides students to think critically about the role the press serves in a democratic society, analyze the extent to which American journalism speaks truth to power, and find their place in journalism and the ways they contribute to the communication field.
* Instructor: Dr. Kathleen McElroy
J336F Social Media Journalism (2020 Spring, 2021 Spring, 2021 Fall, 2022 Spring): This course provides knowledge about the top social media platforms and teaches how to use each one to engage audiences, drive traffic and market themselves and their organizations. Things that students learned include but are not limited to how to make live tweets during news events, create video stories on different social media platforms, and build their personal brand on social media.
* Instructor: Professor Katey Psencik (2020), Dr. Gina Masullo (2021), Professor Bobby Blanchard (2022).
Discussion lab instructor
UGS303 Popular Culture and the Media (2020 Fall): From representations of race, class, gender, and sexuality in media, to advertising, TV, music, and the explosion of online media and social networks, this course critically examine the intersection of popular culture and the media and its effects on our lives.
* Instructor: Dr. Renita Coleman.
Note. I led three discussion labs every week (about 20 students per section). It is one of the Signature Courses at the University of Texas at Austin.
UGS303 No Cheering in the Press Box (2019 Fall): This course identifies the larger cultural and societal themes at work in media portrayals of sports. Students learn how to consume sports media with more critical levels of analysis and discernment.
*Instructor: Professor Kevin Robbins.
Note. I led three discussion labs every week (about 20 students per section). It is one of the Signature Courses at the University of Texas at Austin.
***I have offered online workshops or seminars; I recently co-presented a workshop on digital data collection as part of the Center for Media Engagement's Computational Methods workshop series.
Computational methods workshop leader (2023 January): I co-developed and provided a workshop on digital data collection for UT graduate students. This workshop helped students learn effective and ethical strategies for collecting big data, such as news data (Media Cloud) and social media data (Crowdtangle, Twitter API, TikTok, and Reddit). Recording and PowerPoint slides are available upon request.
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (Graduate Assistant/Associate Instructor, 2017-2019)
MSCH-A310 Media and Consumer Behavior (2019 Spring): This course explores how to engage intellectually and think strategically about consumer audiences and how to connect them with brands in the modern media landscape. Students conceive strategic media plans to achieve advertising audience objectives.
* Instructor: Professor Chris Rund
STAT-S211 Statistics for Journalists (2018 Fall): This course covers essential statistical concepts and tools for journalists and media professionals in the age of data. Students learn the intuition behind common statistical techniques like regression, confidence intervals, and significance testing. This course provides knowledge about how to recognize common statistical errors in journalism and avoid them in their own work and how to correctly communicate statistical results to a general audience.
* Instructor: Dr. Nicholas Bussberg
MSCH-C213 Introduction to Media & Society (2017 Fall, 2018 Spring): This course promotes critical thinking about media and its influence on our everyday lives. Students learn the media literacy framework, develop an understanding of the social scientific method in regard to media studies, and discuss ongoing debates related to media uses and effects so they may reach informed conclusions on their own.
* Instructor: Dr. Suzannah Evans Comfort, Dr. Andrew Weaver
To grow as an instructor, I have participated in workshops and seminars on teaching practice and pedagogy. I have earned a certificate in Advanced Teaching preparation programs (2021) and completed the Fundamentals for Teaching Assistants Seminar (2019).
Google Sites
Report abuse