Recent Dissertations
2025
Evans, Monica
“The Making of Unapologetic Blackness: Black Women, Media, and Meaning-Making"
(Publication No. 3180520721). ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Advisor: Mary Vavrus
Current Position:
2024
Bruns, Catherine
“Wine, Wicked Problems, and Ways of Life: Untangling Cultural Discourses of Adaptation"
Advisor: Mary Vavrus
Current Position: Social Research and Evaluation Specialist, Center for Energy and Environment (updated 2025)
Einertson, Kristen
"Traveling the Road of Baltic Independence: The Joint Baltic American National Committee and US Foreign Policy Rhetorics during the Cold War"
Advisors: Zornitsa Keremidchieva & Atilla Hallsby
Current Position: Adjunct Faculty, University of St. Thomas (updated 2025)
Joyer, Amy
"Evaluating the I.M.P.A.C.T. (Interpersonal Meaning of Preschool Apologetic Communication Tendencies)"
Advisor: Mary Vavrus
Current Position: Teaching Faculty, Department of Communication Studies, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (updated 2025)
Quartz, Sean
"The Time of Extinction Rebellion: The Clash of Kairos and Chronos Amidst Ecological Emergencies"
Advisor: Ronald Greene
Current Position: Communication consultant, MN GreenStep Schools Advisory Network (updated 2025)
Vue, Sylvia
"Race Rituals in Higher Education"
Advisor: Kate Lockwood Harris
Current Position: Assistant Professor, St. Lawrence University (updated 2025)
2023
Bayne, Caroline
"Bless Her Hearth: Domestic Advice in the American South, 1920-Present"
Advisor: Laurie Ouellette
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Millsaps College (updated 2025)
Geier Olive, Grace
"To Think Like an Agroecologist: The Greenhorns and New Agrarian Rhetoric"
Advisors: Ronald Greene & Zornitsa Keremidcheiva
Current Position: Lecturer, University of Minnesota - Rochester
Warren, Natalie
"Paddling with the Mississippi River: An Exploration of Building Relationships with Place"
Advisor: Mara Miksch
Current Position: Stewardship and Education Director, Friends of the Mississippi River (updated 2024)
Wight, Jules
"60 Minutes of News-Noir: A Study of Cyberwar Representations in News Reporting"
Advisor: Mary Vavrus
Current Position: Visiting Instructor, Gustavus Adolphus College (updated 2024)
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, University of the Ozarks (updated 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
Cho, Min Kyong
"Hurtful Message and Self-Concept: Parental Pessimistic Message and Emerging Adults’ Possible Selves"
Advisor: Ascan Koerner
Current Position: Lecturer, University of Wisconsin-Stout (updated 2025)
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 2024)
2021
Hamilton, Joy
"Ideal Tourist: Power, Identity, and Environmental Privilege in Tourism Marketing"
Advisor: Catherine Squires
Current Position: Manager, Publications and Research Writing, University of Denver (updated 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
Youngvorst, Lucas
“The Influence of Communication Modality on Verbal Person-Centered Supportive Conversations between Friends"
Advisor: Susanne Jones
Current Position: Assitant Professor, Communication, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (updated 2024)
Bedor Hiland, Emma
“The Digital Transformation of Mental Health"
Advisor: Laurie Ouellette
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Communications, SUNY Oneonta (updated 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
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: Associate Professor, Department of Communication Arts, University of Wisconsin-Madison (updated 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
Verhoye, Jim
"The Samson Society and the Rhetoric of Authentic Christian Brotherhood"
Advisor: Arthur Walzer
Current Position: Program Manager, AMEND (updated 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)
2014
Larson, Sean
“Rhetorical Ethics in the Comedy of Aristophanes”
Advisor: Edward Schiappa
Current Position: Faculty, Department of Communication Studies, North Hennepin Community College (updated 2024)
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 2024)
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 2024)