Recent Dissertations
2023
Warren, Natalie
"Paddling with the Mississippi River: An Exploration of Building Relationships with Place"
Advisor: Mark Pedelty
Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota (updated 2023)
2022
Musleh, Samira
"The Unpleasantries of Love: Islamic Marital Economy & the Compensability of Reproductive Labor in Postcolonial Capitalism"
Advisor: Kate Lockwood Harris
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at the University of the Ozarks (updated 2023)
Bennett, Stephen
"Palestine and the Middle East in the PopularFilmic Imaginary: Historical Memory, Grievable Lives, and Encountering the Other in Film"
Advisor: Catherine Squires
Current Position: Director, Institute for Palestine Studies-USA (Washington, DC) (updated 2023)
Knutson, Brittany
"Transjudicial Spaces: The Circulation and Disruption of Judicial Features in Cases of Sexual and Gendered Violence"
Advisor: Emily Winderman & Ronald Greene
Current Position: Full-time Faculty, Skagit Valley College (updated 2023)
Cho, Min Kyong
"Hurtful Message and Self-Concept: Parental Pessimistic Message and Emerging Adults’ Possible Selves"
Advisor: Ascan Koerner
Fitzsimmons, Kristin
"Gender Rolls: A History of Gender, Identity, and Nostalgia in Tabletop Roleplaying Games"
Advisor: Laurie Ouellette
Current Position: Lecturer, Communication Studies, University of Minnesota (updated 2023)
2021
Hamilton, Joy
"Ideal Tourist: Power, Identity, and Environmental Privilege in Tourism Marketing"
Advisor: Catherine Squires
Current Position: Teacher (CTE Journalism & Broadcast), Eagle Valley High School, CO (updated 2023)
Liu, Runchao
"Sounding Orientalism: Radical Sounds and Affects of Asian American Women Who Rock"
Advisor: Gilbert Rodman
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Media, Film & Journalism Studies, University of Denver (updated 2023)
Roy, Elja
"Art, Activism and Sundarbans: A case study of Musical Environmental Movement through Film"
Advisor: Mark Pedelty
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Communication & Film, University of Memphis (updated 2023)
2020
Hristova, Elena
"The Speculative in Communication Research: Data, Identity, and the Pursuit of Professionalism, 1940-1960"
Advisor: Catherine Squires
Current Position: Lecturer, Film, Media, Journalism, Bangor University, Wales, UK. (updated 2023)
2019
Angelich, Christian
"Trope of Containment: Shale Oil, Risk Rhetoric, and the Lac-Mégantic Disaster"
Advisor: Mark Pedelty
Byrnes (Danielson), Carly
"Bystanders to College Bullying: An Application of the Bystander Intervention Model"
Advisor: Susanne Jones
Current Position: Lecturer, Communication Studies, University of Minnesota (updated 2023)
2018
Trifonov, Svilen
“The Rhetorical Dimensions of Citizenship: Undocumented Immigrants Defining Their Identity and Place in the ‘Nation of Immigrants’"
Advisor: Karlyn Campbell & Zornitsa Keremidchieva
Current Position: Lecturer, Communication Studies, University of Georgia (updated 2023)
Weinzimmer, Lauren
“Online and In the Spotlight: A Critical Analysis of The Beauty Vlogger"
Advisor: Laurie Ouellete
Current Position: Program Manager, The Behavioural Insights Team, UK (updated 2023)
Youngvorst, Lucas
“The Influence of Communication Modality on Verbal Person-Centered Supportive Conversations between Friends"
Advisor: Susanne Jones
Current Position: Assitant Professor, Psychology & Communication, University of Idaho (updated 2023)
Bedor Hiland, Emma
“The Digital Transformation of Mental Health"
Advisor: Laurie Ouellette
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Communications, the College of Saint Rose (updated 2023)
2017
Hiland, Al
“Sovereign Language: The Rhetoric of the Terror War Presidents"
Advisor: Ronald Greene
Current Position: Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (updated 2023)
Jurisz, Rebecca
“Citizenship, Gender, and Intimacy: First Ladies in the Television Age"
Advisor: Laurie Ouellette
Current Position: Senior Community Faculty, Professional Communication, Metro State University (updated 2023)
2016
Prasch, Allison
“Constituting the Cold War Commonplace: U.S. Presidential Public Address and the Inventional Possibilities of Speaking In Situ”
Advisor: Karlyn Campbell
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Arts, University of Wisconsin-Madison (updated 2023)
Anderson, Sky
"Gaming Corporeality: Bridging the Artificial Divide between Players, Representations, and Characters"
Advisor: John Logie & Ronald Greene
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Emerging Media, Department of Arts and Sciences, University of St. Thomas (updated 2023)
Fischer, Mia
"Terrorizing Gender: Transgender Visibility and the Surveillance Practices of the U.S. Security State"
Advisor: Mary Vavrus
Current Position: Associate Professor; Affiliate Faculty Women and Gender Studies program; Chair, LGBTQ+ Faculty Assembly Committee, University of Colorado Denver (updated 2023)
Bell, Shelby
"Inventing the Rule of Law: A Rhetorical Analysis of U.S. Supreme Court Per Curiam Opinions"
Advisor: Arthur Walzer
Current Position: Faculty, North Hennepin Community College (updated 2023)
2015
Verhoye, Anna
“Unfreezing the Organizational Culture of the Catholic Church: An Analysis of Pope Francis' Organizational Culture Change Initiative Using the Transformational Leadership Theoretical Framework"
Advisor: Mark Pedelty
Current Position: Faculty, Communication Studies Department, Dakota County Technical College (updated 2023)
Verhoye, Jim
"The Samson Society and the Rhetoric of Authentic Christian Brotherhood"
Advisor: Arthur Walzer
Current Position: Consultant for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (updated 2023)
Horvath, Daniel
"A Rhetorical Hermeneutics of Danger: Leaks in the Digital Age"
Advisor: Ronald Greene
Current Position: Lecturer, Communication Studies Department, California State University Stanislaus (updated 2023)
Elias, Liora
"Post-Gay Television: 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' Marriage, and Bullying On and Off Screen"
Advisor: Laurie Ouellette
Current Position: Lecturer, Department of Communication Studies, University of Minnesota (updated 2023)
Zimmerman, Heidi
"Branding Environmentalism for TV: The Rise and Fall of Plant Green"
Advisor: Laurie Ouellette
Current Position: Lecturer, Department of Communication Studies, University of Minnesota (updated 2023)
2014
Larson, Sean
“Rhetorical Ethics in the Comedy of Aristophanes”
Advisor: Edward Schiappa
Current Position: Basic Course Director, Departments of Communication Studies and Theatre Arts, University of Wisconsin-River Falls (updated 2023)
Martinez, Mark
"Care of the Machine Self: Physiology, Cybernetics, Humanistic Systems in Ergonomics"
Advisor: Ronald Greene
Schowalter, Dana
"Philanthropy as Gendered Global Governance: Philanthrocapitalism, Branded Citizenship, and the Selling of Corporate Social Responsibility"
Advisor: Mary Vavrus
Current position: Associate Professor, Communication Studies Department, Western Oregon University (updated 2023)
Stevens, Shannon
"'Revolution in the countryside': Shifting Financial Paradigms Amid the Rhetoric of the 'Farm Crisis,' 1925-1933"
Advisor: Ronald Greene
Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of English, California State University Stanislaus (updated 2023)