Mass Communication Doctoral Students

Hafiz Zain Itrat is a Digital News Media Practitioner, PhD Mass Communication Candidate and Teaching Assistant at School of Media Art and Studies, Ohio University. He earned his M. Phil. Communication Studies degree from University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.

Mr. Itrat also holds under his belt a decade of professional experience in the digital media news industry by working for Pakistan’s leading digital political news platform as a News Editor and Content Head.

His academic interests lie in exploring the financial dynamics and political economy of news media, the effects of Artificial Intelligence driven Digital Media Algorithms on political decision making, especially electoral process, and its contribution to confirmation bias, echo chambers and increased political polarization in society.

Mr. Itrat has regularly been presenting his research at various international media and communication conferences. Passionate about serving academy, Mr. Itrat aims to continue his contribution to the field of digital media and communication on a global level.

A filmmaker, researcher, lecturer and a Media Arts PhD candidate at Ohio University (OU). Her philosophy about media arts is that it is our gateway to study the human communication through film and interactive media. It is applying motion image, light, sound and color creatively to our own perspective to create films and expressing ideas based on scientific researches.

Omnya has directed and produced many short movies that are awarded in many international film festivals. Her movies always revolve around human issues. She has lectured for 5 years on film, media, and integrated marketing communications. She has 10+ years of practical experience with production houses and advertising agencies. Her research interests are in sociocultural issues and how media affects societies. She is also a mother who is enjoying raising a beautiful son.

Her favorite quote is:

“Media and film provide an opportunity to marry the power of ideas with the power of images.”

Nadiah Abidin is a first-year PhD student in Mass Communication at the Media Arts and Studies, Scripps College of Communication, Ohio University. As a Fulbright Scholarship recipient, Nadiah has received an award as best essay writer from the Minister of Youth and Sports and the Vice President of Indonesia on a live national television broadcast. In 2014, she was one of the twenty-six best e-teachers worldwide selected by the University of Oregon and the US Department of State from 1.200 participants. Her poetry, short stories, and articles have been published in numerous books, tapping into a vast range of themes, such as domestic violence, parental grief, regret, relationship marketing, competition dynamics, leadership styles, digital marketing, internship, and social prejudice. Her first children’s book, "Emma," has been published in 28 languages by the Asia Foundation, Litara Foundation, and Estee Lauder. Through her "Cahaya Anak Negeri" philanthropy work, Nadiah has appeared in television shows, radio talk shows, magazines, newspapers, tabloids, and websites, talking about strategies to aid underprivileged people, especially street children, to accomplish their dreams and achieve better livelihoods. She anchored a radio program for women called "Melati Bhagasasi," which gave listeners space to receive feedback on their problems. Currently, she serves as the Commissioner for Campus and Community Engagement Affairs and Chair the Outreach Committee of the Ohio University’s Graduate Student Senate.

pa467622@ohio.edu

Prakash Acharya is an instructor and a Ph.D. student in Mass Communication-Journalism at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University, enrolled in spring 2022-23. A journalism faculty at Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal, for 17 years, Acharya has taught various journalism courses – political communication; advanced reporting; media law and ethics; media research; and public relations and advertising -- for graduate and undergraduate levels at the TU. Currently, he is teaching editing course for undergraduate students at the Scripps school. He is the recipient of Robert L. and Teri W. Gerbig Graduate Scholarship in Journalism from the school.

He served as an active journalist in Nepal’s leading daily newspapers: Special Correspondent for the English daily: The Himalayan Times (2008-2017); Senior Reporter for the English daily, The Rising Nepal (2006-2008); and Reporter for vernacular Gorkhapatra daily (2000-2006). His stories revolved around sharing and shaping political agendas in political, social, and developmental affairs. As a political journalist, he has closely observed Nepal’s political milestones since 2000 and has covered them in different media outlets. Additionally, he developed an insight into the significance of communication during conflicts, chaos, and social transformations. He personally reported the entire royal family massacre in 2001, which eventually led to the establishment of a republic system in Nepal; and followed the peace process that brought various rebellion forces to the negotiation table in 2006 and afterwards; and stories about the abolition of the centuries-old monarchy in 2008. He routinely covered the seven-year constitution-making process that delivered the new constitution in 2015 in Nepal.

As a researcher, Acharya is interested in media and social change. Specifically, he wants to

explore the role of actors from journalism, politics, and development in shaping meaning through their rhetoric. For a UNESCO-funded project in 2012 on “Media and the Nepali Public”, he, as one of the researchers, contributed to the advancement of knowledge of the media as a discipline of social change. In a research fellowship granted by Alliance for Social Dialogue and supported by the Open Society Foundation in 2013, he explored the problems and prospects of media policy-making. His study observed how the making and implementation of media policies are affected by certain factors like “the lack of research-based policy formulation, a true engagement of policy stakeholders, evaluation and monitoring”. His research on the “Role of Communication in Poverty Reduction in Nepal” in 2018 found that an interest-free loans support program targeted at deprived communities had negligible impact due to low motivation and knowledge among the people. This was due to a lack on the part of the government, civil society, and media to inform, educate, and motivate the target group. In the fellowship granted by the Poverty Alleviation Fund, he realized the possible application of the “citizen-science” approach in conducting research in underprivileged groups of remote areas. Many other research works conducted by students under his supervision ranged from prospects and problems of public communication that demand effective communication for social transformation.

Acharya earned a Master’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, in 2004.

Asem A. Alomari is a Ph.D. in Mass Communication at the School of Media Arts and Studies, Scripps College of Journalism and Communication, Ohio University. Recently, Alomari defended his dissertation titled "Political Talk TV in Middle East Context: Understanding Power of Al-Jazeera’s "Opposite Direction".

Currently, Alomari serves as an adjunct faculty at the State University of New York at New Paltz / Communication Studies Department.

Alomari received a Master of Science in Mass Communication from Arkansas State University in 2019. During his master’s, Alomari served as a graduate and teacher assistant, where he received the Graduate Assistant Achievement Award in 2019. Prior to this, he completed his bachelor’s degree in mass communication, with a concentration in radio and television, at Yarmouk University in 2012. Outside of academia, Alomari has also excelled in his field during his experience in radio and television. His work experience includes serving as a director and commentator for several documentary films in Jordan.

Alomari is passionate about conducting research and teaching. His research interest includes the effects of mass media and public opinion, theories of mass communication, and media representation and stereotypes. Alomari presented his research, "An Examination of Television as a News Source in the Social Media Age", at the Sixty-First Annual Conference of the Western Social Science Association, San Diego, CA. Also, he presented a research project titled "A Middle Eastern Perspective of Agenda Setting: Agenda Setting in the Third Level" at the Global Fusion Conference- UT Austin Department of Radio-Television-Film, Austin, TX.

Greg is a non-traditional student pursuing his PhD on a part time basis. He has always been fascinated by the convergence of computer technology and broadcast technology. Because of his expertise in both fields, he decided to research how emerging technology will impact the future of media — such as ATSC 3.0, Virtualization and Cloud Computing.  His goal is to understand where the industry is going in order to help determine how to prepare students for the future and to develop courses to assist in this preparation.  

Greg was born in Ohio and moved to Arizona in the tenth grade. He lived in Arizona for the next 12 years and completed high school and college there as well.  

Greg has a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcasting from Northern Arizona University and worked at the then CBS affiliate in Phoenix for three years, which is now a Fox owned and operated station.  

After moving back to Ohio, he worked at NBC-4 in Columbus for three years in engineering, and then worked as an engineer at several radio stations before iHeart Radio bought all of the local radio stations and laid off most of the engineers.  

Greg then earned his first master’s degree in Information Systems Management and worked in broadcasting doing IT work in radio for several years. His final IT job was working for a school district, and he enjoyed working with students so much that he investigated getting a teaching license and ultimately ended up teaching high school broadcasting. His school’s program won several awards, including a student production award from the regional Emmys, and one of Greg’s former students is now in the film program here at OHIO.  

Greg has several professional certifications, including for “Society of Broadcast Engineers’ Certified Broadcast Technologist”, “Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer”, and “Project Management Institute’s Project Management Professional.”  

After the school administration discontinued the program, Greg went on to complete his second master’s degree in Educational Technology with an Adult Learning & Training emphasis. During this process, he decided he was interested in teaching full time at the university level, and ultimately decided to pursue his PhD.  

Outside of coursework, Greg lives in the country between Lancaster and Newark, where he lives with a dog and two cats, all rescues. He is interested in home automation and home theater systems, and recently received his FAA part 107 license to become a non-recreational drone pilot.

Doctoral student Ratna Ariyanti is also on the teaching staff at the Multimedia Nusantara University in Banten, Indonesia (the greater Jakarta area). She teaches Business Journalism, Reporting Issues of Diversity, and Global Journalism.

She received her B.A. in Mass Communication from Sebelas Maret University, Indonesia, in 2002, and M.A. in International Journalism from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, in 2015, sponsored by the British Chevening Scholarships. Her doctoral study is sponsored by Indonesia’s Education Ministry and Fulbright under the program called DIKTI-funded Fulbright Grants for Indonesian Lecturers.

She developed a passion for journalism when she was a young girl. Her neighbor owned a newspaper stall and always allowed her to read the papers and magazines for free. She then enjoyed “traveling” from one place to another just by reading various stories from around the world.

Before pursuing a career in academia, she worked as a journalist for Indonesia’s largest business and financial newspaper, Business Indonesia, for more than 10 years. She covered various beats, from the stock exchange, information and technology, manufacturing, and politics — where she was assigned at the Presidential Palace.

Ratna has been a board member of Indonesia’s progressive journalists’ union, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), since 2009. She was involved in various programs with AJI, including data journalism training and hackathons, safety trainings for journalists, Indonesia’s whistleblower platform IndonesiaLeaks, and CekFakta, a fact-checking collaboration supported by dozens of media outlets in Indonesia.

Ratna also assists the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Asia Pacific to monitor press freedom violations—including censorship and physical abuse—in Southeast Asia and strengthen solidarity among journalists in the region.

Her doctoral research is focused on collaborative journalism and examines factors that contribute to both the success and failure of collaboration projects among newsrooms in Indonesia and cross-border partnerships.

Ratna has published two works with the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in Indonesia — “Jejak Jurnalis Perempuan (the Path of female journalists)” in 2012 and “Safety protocol and guidelines for journalists covering the Covid-19 pandemic” in 2020.  She also has three publications with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in Asia Pacific — “Underneath the Autocrats: A Report into Impunity, Journalist Safety and Working Conditions” in 2018, “Holding the Line: A Report into Impunity, Journalist Safety and Working Conditions” in 2019, and “Challenges and Controls: Impacts of Covid-19 on Media Workers in Malaysia” in 2020. She master’s thesis at the University of Leeds is titled “Exploring social media in journalism: a study of the use of Twitter as news sources in the coverage of recent crisis event in Indonesian online media” from 2016.

In addition to her studies, Ratna is a cat person and is surrounded by seven adopted cats.

Michael is pursuing his doctoral study researching the role of media in the cultural assimilation of immigrants, especially among Africans in the diaspora. He also has research interests in happenings on the African continent.

He teaches multiplatform reporting, which he thoroughly enjoys as he gets to impart his knowledge as a reporter, news writer and editor to his students, under the masterful guidance of course Professor Bill Reader.

The first three years after his undergraduate education, Michael worked as an instructor in two high schools in Ghana’s Central Region, teaching agriculture and biology. Michael went on to pursue a master’s program in tropical forestry and management at the Dresden University of Technology in Dresden, Germany, from 2011 to 2013. For his master’s thesis he investigated human-elephant conflict at the fringes of Ghana’s foremost national park, the Kakum Conservation Area.

Upon his return home from Europe in late 2013, Michael switched careers, deciding to become a journalist to explore his passion for writing and current affairs. After a year of blogging, was hired as an online journalist at the Class Media Group in Accra, Ghana, writing and editing stories for the websites of its stations, Class FM and Accra FM, and later became assistant editor.

In the fall of 2017, Michael came to the U.S. to pursue another master’s program in journalism at West Virginia University. While there, he assisted with the teaching of introductory journalism courses and also worked as a research assistant. His thesis focused on comparing homeland and ethnic media consumption patterns among Ghanaians living in the Greater Washington, D.C. area.

Michael plans to spend his first few years after school teaching and honing his research abilities. He hopes to devote most of his working life documenting African migrant stories to bring them to the attention of the world, as he sees a dearth of information on migrants from his mother continent currently. In his later years, he wishes to work with multinational organizations like the United Nations in Africa, especially carrying out research and teaching a new generation of African media professionals.

Michael has only one hobby, soccer – from his living room armchair. He says it is his only entertainment, otherwise he is reading news on his phone, writing an article, or studying.

Eirene N. Binabiba is a Ph.D. Candidate in Mass Communication in the Department of Media Arts and Studies. Eirene earned her Bachelors in Fine Arts at the University of Ghana where she majored in Theatre for Development and her master’s in International Development at Ohio University with a concentration on gender and development.

Eirene is currently working on her dissertation which is centered on understanding how digital humanitarianism and the use of social media/digital platforms influence and shape humanitarian response efforts during crises. Eirene's scholarly interests revolve around the intersections of digital media, humanitarianism, and vulnerable populations, particularly focusing on how digital platforms shape and influence global humanitarian efforts. Looking ahead, she is interested in further exploring digital media cultures, how they influence social activism and global humanitarianism, and the ways in which they shape public perception and policy.

Beyond academia, Eirene is the founder of the ENB Foundation, a non-profit organization in Ghana committed to addressing the challenges faced by women and children while fostering development in underserved areas. With a network of volunteers across the country, the foundation runs targeted initiatives designed to empower, educate, and uplift individuals, improving their quality of life. Through skill training workshops, mentorship programs, and sustainable development projects, the ENB Foundation equips individuals with the tools to create brighter futures and promotes long-term growth in marginalized communities.

In addition to her work with the ENB Foundation, Eirene serves as a communications consultant, helping organizations craft tailored digital messaging through storytelling and strategic communication. Her expertise helps position brands as leaders in their fields while amplifying the work of non-profits, ensuring their missions are effectively communicated and their impact is fully recognized.

Nathan Blackburn (he/him) is a doctoral student within Mass Communication program at Ohio University. In addition, he works within the Graduate College as the Director of Communications and Professional Development. Before enrolling as a doctoral student and serving in this professional position, he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication in 2020 at Piedmont University. He moved to Athens, OH in 2021, to pursue his Master of Science in Journalism, here at OU, graduating in 2023.

He has worked in a variety of mediums to produce stories and content, such as film, audio production and graphics. In his spare time, you can find Blackburn watching through a wealth of horror movies, writing fiction, playing various entries in the Legend of Zelda and Fire Emblem video game series, or, if the mood strikes, hiking.

Research Interests

His research interests cover topics within the LGBTQ+ community, political science, and even paranormal communication. In his initial graduate study, Blackburn worked to create content based around the LGBTQ+ community in Southeast Ohio, examining the resources that exist for their aid, as well as the gaps that need to be filled.

Eric Boll is a Ph.D. student in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism specializing in science communication and science news. A three-time bobcat, Eric got both his B.S.J and M.S.J from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Eric has also obtained certificates in political communications and war and peace studies

Professionally, Eric has covered several beats including general news, basketball, track and field, cross country, agriculture, the environment and more. He currently works for the Athens County Independent as an environment and science reporter.

Research Interests
Science Communication
Paleontology
Public Relations
Environment
News
Presentations and Awards
American Journalism Historian Association, Memphis, 2022
Eric Boll, Ohio University, "The Underreporting of the 2007 Chinese Anti-Satellite Missile Test by Major American Newspapers"

American Journalism Historian Association, Columbus, 2023
Eric Boll, Ohio University, "Depictions of Paleontology in Two Major American Newspapers in the 1990s"

Cale G. Burke is a Senior Project Manager at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service. As a member of the Social Enterprise Ecosystem Program, he is responsible for coaching and supporting entrepreneurs in recovery from Substance Use Disorder. Additionally, Cale is tasked with providing technical support and assisting expanding the Recovery Community Organization (RCO) network in South East Ohio. A self-proclaimed person in long term recovery, as well as the founder of an Athens based RCO, Cale is uniquely positioned to help recovery-based enterprises. Previously Cale had a 17-year career in IT sales and founded an IT security general contracting firm in Columbus, Ohio.

As a nontraditional student Cale earned an AA in Business as well as a BA in Communication from the University of Cincinnati in 2002. He went on to continue his education at Franklin University, earning a Master of Science in Communication and Marketing in 2006. More than a decade later he entered the inaugural cohort of the accelerated Master of Public Administration program at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service and completed his MPA in 2021. During his internship, Cale established a 501c3 that evolved into the before mentioned RCO, the SouthEast Ohio Hope Center.

Cale’s community volunteerism goes back more than a decade. From 2005 until it was absorbed into a larger agency in 2012, Cale was an advisory board member for Syntaxis Youth Homes. From 2015 to 2019 he volunteered as Head of Security for a homeless outreach organization on Columbus’s Hilltop, Joran’s Crossing Resource Center. Currently, Cale serves as the Peer Mentor for the Athens’s County Veteran Drug Court. He is a Desert Storm Veteran having served in the US Navy from 1987-1991.

Cale’s focus for his dissertation will be the impact of Peer Based Recovery Support Services (PBRSS) on the recovery continuum of care. He chose the Health Communication field for his doctoral program due to the lack of published, long term study of Peer Support Services.

Mary-Magdalene (M.M.) Ngum Chumbow is a native Cameroonian who lived and studied in Kenya for more than a decade. She received a B.A in Communications with a major in Electronic Media and Journalism, from Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya, while also working as a radio presenter and producer at the school's radio station. She also worked with communication firms and digital marketing agencies in the country, all through her final years in college.  

She holds a Masters degree in International Communication & Development Studies from Ohio University, as well as a certificate in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies.  

M.M. is currently a PhD candidate and Instructor of Record in the School of Media Arts & Studies at Ohio University, as well as the Marketing and Public Relations Director of the International Student Union.

During her time at Ohio University, she has also acted as the Graduate Student Senate Representative for the Ohio University Center for International Studies (2017-2018), Secretary-General to the Ohio University African Students Association (2018-2019), as well as a Graduate Student Adviser at the Office for MultiCultural Student Access and Retention (OMSAR).  

M.M’s research interests include gender and sexuality practices, particularly within African communities, and the roles that the media plays in promoting social change within said communities. She has particularly conducted studies on SGBV practices such as Breast Ironing and Female Genital Cutting (FGC), as well as gender stereotypes as seen and enabled by the media in African countries and among refugee communities.  

Raja Das or ‘Raj’ is a second-year doctoral student and a Scripps Howard Teaching Fellow at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

He is an Instructor of Record for JOUR 3140 Fundamentals of Online Journalism course. He taught JOUR 2050 News & Information Literacy course in the last two semesters.

Raj groomed his leadership quality since high school and has remained one of the best contingents for Debate and Elocution during his college and university life in India. His love for debate on issues concerning public life has led him to pursue Journalism for his future career.

During his double masters in mass communication and journalism from India, Raj also worked as a stringer for ‘The Telegraph’ for five years. He takes keen interest in studying prevailing media content and its influences on audiences.

In the first one year of his PhD, Raj presented two papers at AEJMC conference relating to hate speech issues which is going to be a part of his broader study for the PhD dissertation. He is also working on a proposal to study how US and Indian media represents the legal aspects of hate speech incidents and how audiences perceive the same in the context of media literacy.

He has experience working with various governmental and non-governmental organizations like UNICEF, Commonwealth Secretariat, Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. He also worked on research projects with regional and international higher educational institutions like Gauhati University and UCLA.

In his free time, Raj loves to watch news talk shows, and cricket matches. He also loves to play cricket both on the field and on mobile.

Ahmed Deen, originally from Saudi Arabia, is a current doctoral candidate in the School of Media Arts & Studies at Ohio University. Deen's research interests are audience behavior of news consumption, mobile journalism, and social media data analytics.

Currently, Deen's research focuses on understanding audience behavior through using social media platforms to consume news via mobile devices.

Before joining the Ph.D. program, Deen earned his Master’s degree in mass communication (Journalism) at Arkansas State University, during which he worked as a graduate assistant in the College of Liberal Arts and Communications. He completed his Bachelor's degree in journalism at Taibah University, Saudi Arabia, where he also served as a teaching assistant.  In addition, Deen worked as a journalist in Saudi Arabia for more than five years.

Ibrahim bin Harun is a doctoral student at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University. He earned his master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Before enrolling in the PhD program at OU, Ibrahim served as an Assistant Professor at Jagannath University in Bangladesh. He taught courses on news editing, reporting, and television content. In addition to his academic experience, Ibrahim has over 24 years of professional experience in the media industry, working in reporting and editing for both print and electronic media. He also held leadership positions in the international affairs desk at two popular television channels in Bangladesh.

His research interests cover a wide range of topics, including the media industry, journalist organizations, press freedom, challenges to journalism, social media, and health communication.

Ibrahim is a proud father of three wonderful kids and is a devoted husband.

Hakan Karaaytu joined Alfred University in 2023, now working as an assistant professor for the Communication Studies department. Hakan is studying Ph.D. in Mass Communication-Journalism at Ohio University. He teaches undergraduate courses on Digital Journalism, Social Media Strategy, Introductory News-writing & Reporting, and Mass Media and American Life.

Hakan's primary area of research is political communication. Hakan has a background in Middle Eastern Studies and can command multiple fields -communications, journalism, political science, history, and sociology- with ease. Hakan also has editing and journalism experience both in the US and Turkey.

Hakan earned his bachelor’s degree in education and planned initially to teach the Turkish language at Erciyes University in Turkey. He pursued a second bachelor’s degree in the Radio, Television, and Cinema undergraduate program, and has master’s degree from the university in Media and Communication. Hakan also served as the president of the student council for two years at the Zirve University, which had approximately 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

Hakan enrolled in the master's degree program at Niagara University in New York, where he built an interdisciplinary major in media studies, social justice, and theory. He completed his thesis study titled Independent Journalists Reporting on Political Issues in Turkey, using Traditional and New Media. His thesis focused on how President Erdogan and the AKP (Justice and Development Party) Government, who have been in control for 17 years, have transformed the entire media system into a non-objective, manipulative device serving as the mouthpiece of the president.

He has always been interested in theater education, and in 2009 he took the director position at the Stage Head theater community during his undergraduate. Hakan organized, directed, and played the leading role in Moliere's masterpiece Les Précieuses Ridicules. Hakan also still regularly plays soccer and is a very strong supporter of Beşiktaş which is one of the famous teams from the Turkish Super League.

Nikhil Reddy Kondam is an Instructor of Record and Ph.D. candidate in Mass Communication–Media Arts and Studies program at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Osmania University and a master’s degree in Communication (Media Studies) from the University of Hyderabad. His academic journey and lifelong engagement with digital technologies have shaped his interest in platformization and the growing appetite for digital content, particularly how these trends transform everyday communication across personal, professional, and public life.

Nikhil’s research focuses on the intersections of digital labor, stress, and entrepreneurship in the Global South, with a special emphasis on women entrepreneurs in India. His dissertation, Digital Stress Among Women Entrepreneurs in India: The Role of Digital Labor and Platform Algorithms, explores how constant online engagement shapes opportunities and challenges for rural women entrepreneurs. Using Goffman’s (1959) theory of self-presentation and Steele et al.’s (2020) model of digital stress, he investigates how digital literacy barriers contribute to stress among women entrepreneurs with constant online engagement. In addition to his dissertation, he collaborates with Ohio University faculty on projects exploring digital entrepreneurship, platform algorithms, and public health communication, and contributes to The SMART (Social Media Analytics Research Team) Lab on initiatives related to AI and content creation.

His scholarship has been presented at major international conferences, including the International Communication Association (ICA), the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), and the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR).

At Ohio University, Nikhil teaches MDIA 2010: Media Analysis and Criticism, an undergraduate course offered every semester. His teaching philosophy emphasizes clarity, critical reflection, and student-centered engagement, encouraging students to connect theoretical concepts with their lived media experiences. He is also developing new courses, including Digital Cultures: Critical Perspectives on Platforms, which examines platform infrastructures, algorithmic visibility, and the cultural logics of the digital economy. His teaching has been recognized with several honors, including Outstanding Instructor of Record (2025), Outstanding Teaching Assistant (2024), and the Discover Pillar Award (2025) for creativity, collaboration, and innovation.

Nikhil’s broader research interests include media studies, digital cultures, and platform studies, with a long-term goal of advancing scholarship on digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and inequality in South Asian contexts.

Naoki Kuroishi is a doctoral student at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University. He is particularly interested in the application of emerging technologies in the field of political communication.

Prior to joining the doctoral program at Ohio University, Naoki worked for 5 years as a journalist for Japanese newspaper the Asahi Shimbun. He extensively covered the domestic and foreign policies of Shinzo Abe’s administration and contributed to the Asahi's investigative reporting on political scandals in Japan. He has also worked for a year as an adjunct lecturer in political science at Tokai University, and currently serves as a researcher at the Strategic Peace and International Affairs Research Institute, Tokai University (SPIRIT).

Naoki holds a master’s degree in political communication with distinction from Cardiff University, where his dissertation focuses on the political implications of internet memes in Japan. He earned a bachelor’s degree in law from Chuo University.

Eva Liu is a PhD student in Mass Communication (Media Studies Track) at Ohio University. She holds an M.A. in Gender Studies from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. As a feminist media researcher specializing in Chinese feminisms, popular cultures and fandom, Eva has published her work in peer-reviewed journals and presented her work at international academic conferences. She is the recipient of the John Cady Graduate Fellowship for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Publications

Han, L. & Liu, Y. (2024). When digital feminisms collide with nationalism: Theorizing “pink feminism” on Chinese social media. Women's Studies International Forum, 105, 102941. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2024.102941

Liu, Y. (2024). Neoliberal feminism with Chinese characteristics: Alternative self-representations of female PhDs on RED. Continuum, 37(6), 728-740. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2024.2316734.

Liu, Y. (2024). When feminists are misidentified as traitors: Nationalism, disinformation, and anti-feminism in Chinese cyberspace. Feminist Media Studies, 24(1), 170–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2023.2284101

Han, L. & Liu, Y. (2023). #MeToo Activism without the #MeToo Hashtag: Online Debates over Entertainment Celebrities' Sexual Scandals in China. Feminist Media Studies, 24(4), 657-674. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2023.2219857

Selected Presentations

Liu, Y. (2024 November). “Feminist Theory of Our Own: Localized Production of Feminist Knowledge, Discourse and Identities in Digital China.” Paper to be presented at the annual conference of the National Women’s Studies Association, Detroit, MI. 14-17 November 2024.

Liu, Y. (2024 June). "Fictosexuality as a Feminist Resistance: Queering Digital Intimacies in Otome Games". Paper presented at the “Global Digital Intimacies” conference, the University of Amsterdam. 27-28 June 2024.

Liu, Y. (2023 June). "Playing With The Romance (un)critically: Love Fantasy, Feminism and Otome Gamers In China." Paper presented at Console-ing Passions 2023, the University of Calgary. 22-24 June 2023.

Liu, Y. (2023 March). “'Women Can(not) Have it All in Academia': Neoliberal Feminism and Female PhD Digital Influencers in China." Paper presented at the Conference “After Nora Walks Out”: The Struggles and the Future of Chinese Feminism, the New School for Social Research. 4 March 2023.

Liu, Y. (2022 October). "Let’s Queer the Theatres: Performing Industries and Musical Fandom after Covid-19." Paper Presented at the Fan Studies Network - North America 2022. 13-16 October 2022.

Junaid Ali Majaz is a PhD student in the School of Media Arts and Studies with research interests in virtual learning experiences. His work focuses on investigating how immersive and interactive platforms can enhance learning experiences for students all over the world. Junaid holds an undergraduate degree in media production and an MFA degree in Visual Communication Design from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, he also served as the graduate assistant at the Department of Communications.

During his master's work, Junaid developed an interest in virtual reality and recognized the potential of the medium. His master’s thesis explored the idea of how design can help international students learn about U.S college campuses.

Junaid is an avid movie buff and enjoys watching quality content. He also enjoys being close to nature and prefers to travel whenever he can manage enough time.

Viktoria is a PhD candidate, who was born in Bulgaria but immigrated to South Africa at an early age and grew up there. Over the past two years Viktoria has been focused on the power of social media for social change and is shaping her research towards understanding the donation process individuals embark on through social media. She has spent the last four summers working as a Marketing and Social Media Strategist for Social Enterprise Ecosystems and came to Ohio University with a versatile professional background in media production, content development, project management, and event coordination. At OU she has received her MA in Communication and Development and MA in Public Administration. Her BA degree is in Journalism from Rhodes University in South Africa. Currently she is a Graduate Instructor In the Social Media Certificate Program and is overseeing the Social Media Storytelling Lab. Viktoria believes in maintaining a balanced life and enjoys staying active, meditating, dancing, gardening, relaxing with her cats, participating in university activities, and working hard on academics.  

Mr. Kenyi Betuel Marle is a Ph.D student in the Media Arts and Communication Studies in Ohio University. He holds a master’s degree in Communication and Development studies (CommDev). The CommDev is a program that cultivates understanding and critical assessment of the role communication tools and how to adapt to new technologies and innovative practices in society. Kenyi’s capstone project in this program examined how inclusive radio programming can change the negative attitude of society towards girl child education in South Sudan.  

Kenyi is Social Behavior Change Communication Professional with experience in the use of Strategic Communication techniques for Social Change. In the last job held (Editor), he was responsible for the overall management and in supervision of diverse radio production team of BBC Media Action, South Sudan that produced content on girl’s education. Kenyi authored some blogs for BBC Media Action on girl child education.

Kenyi also worked in other media houses (both broadcast and the print). He is experienced in crafting segments to be aired on the radio and in writing stories for newspapers or magazines.  

Kenyi is a South Sudanese, and his research interest is Social media use for peace and development.  

Aazadi Fateh Muhammad is a doctoral student at EW Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. Previously she was teaching as an Assistant Professor at the department of Mass Communication, Federal Urdu University for Arts Sciences & Technology Karachi for more than twelve years since April, 2010. She was associated with PTV Karachi for ten years since 2004 as a compare and host for live and recorded programs on cultural and social topics in Urdu and Sindhi, she participated as discussant in more than hundred talk shows on mainstream Urdu and Sindhi television channels in Pakistan including Hum TV, SAMA, GEO, Dawn, ARY, KTN, SINDH TV, MEHRAN, Awaz TV, and also participated in national debates on social issues and women empowerment at all leading national radio stations. She has more than twenty research papers published in recognized research journals, and some feature articles published in leading national newspapers in English, Urdu and Sindhi. Her prominent writings include ‘Media Education: Theory and Practise’, in daily dawn Sunday magazine on December 29, 2013. ‘Pakistanis can debunk myths about Islam, by protesting peacefully’, dated September 22, 2012. and blogs published in International School of Journalism, Ohio University blog and newsletters, in Summer 2012.

She served as founding head at department of Mass Communication at DHA college for women Karachi Phase VIII in 2010 and was part of teaching faculty at University of Karachi for four years from 2006 to 2010. She got first class first position and gold medal in MA Mass Communication in 2005/06 at University of Karachi.  She did her first PhD in February 2014 from Department of Mass Communication, University of Karachi under the supervision of Prof Dr. Muhammad Shamsuddin. Her title of research was ‘Social Development in Sindh: A Study of Promotional Role of Electronic Media’. She focused on role and contributions of national television and radio in promoting awareness on health, education, women empowerment and family welfare. She has attended and participated in various international exchange and training programs including representing Pakistan in SUSI for Scholars 2012 at Ohio University, USA, Practitioner Training on Peace Making and Effective Communication at Kurve Wustrow Germany in February 2016, and her other international experiences include presenting paper on syllabus of Mass Communication in Dubai SZABIST Conference January 2016, successfully completed training on Women Peace Negotiator Program by Asian Resource Foundation and School of Peace Studies Thailand in December, 2015, participation in community talks and formal sessions at SANA Annual Conventions in 2011 and 2014 in USA.

Ms Muhammad has seventeen years of professional experience of teaching and research and also, she worked voluntarily with social and development sector for upholding community welfare and support. She strongly believes in Peace and Justice, she holds special concern for indigenous communities in Sindh and her recent research interests revolve around communication and media laws, media literacy, peace journalism and communication development.

She is also a mother of two happy children and is a devoted wife, daughter and sister. She has faith in helping and supporting people in any possible way to form peace and progress in society. 

Deniza Mulaj is a Ph.D. candidate of mass communication at Ohio University and holds an M.A. in cultural anthropology from the North Carolina State University. Mulaj is a teaching fellow at the Scripps College of Communication, Social Media Certificate Program. Her work focuses on the intersection of media, violence, and ethnicity, oriented towards the Balkan region, as well as questions of peacebuilding in the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica, Kosova. Additionally, Mulaj is a co-founder and program manager of the Balkan Society for Theory and Practice (BSTP), an organization aiming to create a platform for critical research and academic and artistic collaboration in the Balkans. Before joining Ohio University, Mulaj worked for the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN Kosovo) as a grant writer and project lead, covering issues in the legal framework on inheritance and women’s rights to property in Kosovo, investigative journalism, and monitoring of public procurement, auditing, and recruitments in public institutions.

Kezia Nanda, or Miss K as her students in Indonesia call her, is a proud doctoral student in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She was a news reporter and a public relations specialist for various organizations both in Indonesia and in the United States.

Ever since she was a little child, she realized the power of communication and the media to build and destroy something or someone. In the doctoral program, she’s interested in studying racial and religious propaganda, social media, political communication, misrepresentation, strategic communication, and everything in between. Her paper on Blasphemy Laws to silence minority won an award at the AEJMC conference.

She received her master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a 4.0 GPA and a bachelor’s degree double majoring in Psychology and Communication from Ouachita Baptist University, Arkansas with a Cum Laude. She joined the American National Honor Society in Journalism & Mass Communication, Public Relations Society of America, The International Honor Society in Social Sciences and The International Honor Society in Psychology.

She was a lecturer for four years in Indonesia, and she strives to always be a passionate lecturer of communication who not only inspires students to do great work in their field but also to be kind. She loves globetrotting, eating sushi, drinking local beers, playing basketball, and dabbling on the piano.

Quang Nguyen, originally from Hanoi, Vietnam, is a returning student at Ohio University, where he previously earned his Master's degree in Financial Economics in 2007 as a Fulbright Scholar. His research interests encompass a diverse range of interdisciplinary fields, including strategic communication, corporate intelligence, artificial intelligence, public health and social media. Notably, he specializes in the examination of the impact of machine learning on strategic communication, with a recent focus on the implications of Generative AI within mass communication, particularly its integration into the marketing communication industry.

Quang holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Institute for International Relations (Vietnam, 2000) and later pursued a master's degree in financial economics at Ohio University. His master's thesis delved into a comprehensive exploration of economic innovation processes and the opening of financial markets in Vietnam.

Prior to embarking on his doctoral journey in mass communication at Ohio University, Quang boasts nearly two decades of professional experience, occupying managerial roles in non-profit organizations, public policy research agencies, state-owned enterprises, the private sector, and higher education teaching in Vietnam. His areas of expertise encompass advertising, public relations, media relations, and strategic communication for public administration, business and financial management, as well as educational development.

Quang has garnered numerous accolades and scholarships from esteemed institutions, including the Sweden International Development Agency (2004), International Visitor Leadership Program (Department of State, United States, 2004), and the Fulbright Scholarship (United States, 2005).

In his leisure moments, Quang enjoys learning and practicing photography, listening to jazz and classical music, and reading novels.

Ama Boatemaa Ofori-Birikorang is a doctoral student at the E.W Scripps College of Communication majoring in Media Arts & Studies. Originally from Ghana, Ama’s academic journey began with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and French, which ignited her interest in issues related to power structures, decision making and social change.

After her bachelor’s degree, she worked as a gender and development coordinator at the Center for Media and Development Communication for a year. Center for Media and Development Communication (CMDC) is a non-governmental organization in Ghana that seeks to create awareness on issues regarding gender and minorities mainstreaming. As a gender and development coordinator, Ama was in-charge of developing programs and workshop for women and children empowerment within rural communities and wrote proposals to seek funding for initiatives.

Subsequently, she gained a Master of Arts degree in Communication and Media Studies (Strategic Communication) in Ghana and then joined the Center for International Studies at Ohio University in 2021. Throughout Ama’s graduate studies, her scholarly concerns have been mostly critical pedagogy, gender, and media studies. She has conducted studies on gender stereotypes, media framing and women empowerment within the Ghanaian context. More so, she found herself consistently engaged in rigorous research work and intense academic writing while as a Graduate Assistant/Teaching Assistant in Ghana and at Ohio University. Nonetheless, Ama is more inclined towards the qualitative paradigm as it satisfies her interest in interrogating issues in-depth to unravel hidden meanings.

Kanat Omurbekov, originally from Kyrgyzstan, is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree at the School of Media Arts & Studies at Ohio University. He is working on a thesis centered on the audience's lived experiences of film and media consumption.

Kanat Omurbekov came to the U.S. as a Fulbright student and obtained his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in film from Ohio University before starting his Ph.D. program. Kanat also holds a master’s degree in finance from Academy of Management under the President of Kyrgyzstan (AMPK). Before pursuing his MFA, Kanat had amassed industry experience in both film and finance in Kyrgyzstan. His filmography boasts numerous short films, including "Evening" (2013) and “River” (2023), among others. These films have been showcased at various international film festivals, garnering awards for their focus on social issues.

In addition to his primary focus on film, media, and audience studies, Kanat's research interests extend to areas such as social media, media and communication technologies, and culture. During his Ph.D. program, he has already worked as both a graduate assistant and an instructor of record for courses like Social Media and Technology, Communication, and Culture.

Adelaja Oriade is a third-year Ph.D. student and an instructor of record at Ohio University, Media Arts and Studies department. He also serves as a Peer Advisor of the International Student and Faculty Services (ISFS), Ohio University. In addition, He has served as a Teaching Assistant in the Media Arts & Studies Department of Ohio University (2019-2020), and a reviewer for the Ohio University Graduate Student Senate (GSU) 2021 Original Work Grants and Travel Awards (OWG).  

For his Ph.D. dissertation, Adelaja investigates the perspectives of Black immigrants and African Americans about the casting for historical African and African American movies in Hollywood. Also, as a passionate ally of the African LGBTQ community, he explores indigenous, innovative, and efficient channels to navigate the homophobic laws and unchecked victimization of Africans whose sexualities do not conform to predominant heterosexuality. Adelaja frames his research in mass communication, post-modern, and post-colonial theories.

Before joining the Ph.D. program at Ohio University, Adelaja completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication from the Tai Solarin University (2010) and a Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan (2017), Nigeria.  

Adelaja’s publication is titled, “Challenging Hegemonic Masculinity in Nigerian Hip Hop: An Evaluation of Gender Representation in Falz the Bahd Guy’s Moral Instruction Album.”

Van Pham is an international doctorate student of Mass Communication at the Scripps College of Journalism, Ohio University. With nearly 20 years of experience, Van is a highly experienced PR and communication professional with a track record of success across a range of industries in Vietnam.

Van's experience includes roles as Head of Marketing and Communication at Keppel Land Vietnam, Communications and External Affairs Director at Philip Morris International (PMI), PR & Communications Director at Vietnam USA Society English Centers (VUS), PR & Communication Director at RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) University Vietnam and managing her own communication agency called Publik Communications.

Throughout her career, Van has demonstrated an exceptional ability to set up, develop, and execute policies, targets, and strategies for companies, as well as oversee day-to-day activities. She has also developed an extensive network of contacts, including over 500 nationwide journalists and reporters across a range of fields, from basic to high-level positions, as well as government officials, regulators, and business leaders in Vietnam.

In addition to her networking abilities, Van has developed strong leadership and management capabilities, with intensive experience in marketing, PR, interaction strategy and planning, event organizing, and TV show production. She has produced and published various print ads, editorials, advertorials, TV commercials, TV features, sales brief films, and introductory films, among others. Her expertise in event organizing has resulted in the successful execution of hundreds of events for RMIT, Publik's clients, and VUS. Furthermore, she has produced over 200 TV programs broadcasted in VTV, Vietnam’s nationwide television.

In addition to her extensive professional background, Van is a dedicated researcher with a passion for addressing pressing issues in the fields of communication and society. Her research interests span a wide range of topics, including cyberbullying, the impact of heat-not-burn tobacco products, and gender-related communication dynamics.

Jessie is a third year doctoral student. She has undergraduate degrees in Theatre and Telecommunications and graduate degrees in Telecommunication and Journalism with an emphasis in media analytics and management. She has received all of her degrees up to this point from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She has also worked at Ball State in the Center for Media Design and spent six years working in research administration for the university where she developed educational materials and opportunities for faculty, staff, and students wishing to conduct sponsored research.

Jessie studies media effects and journalism education. Jessie’s research examines the representation of mental illness and disability in the media. She hopes to find ways to work with industry professionals to counteract the stigma created by inaccurate and sensationalized representations of mental illness in mass media, as well as working to educate journalism students about the ethical reporting of mental illness. She also has an interest in the gendered harassment and discrimination facing female journalists and the steps needed to prepare journalism students to face that reality. These research interests inform her teaching goals and she hopes to continue her career as a journalism educator following the completion of her degree. Jessie teaches writing for advertising and public relations, and has taught multiplatform reporting.

In her free time, Jessie likes to build in Minecraft, work on needlepoint and crochet, take care of her houseplants, and spend time with her pets. You will often see Jessie around the department and on campus accompanied by Finley, a 3-year-old yellow lab/golden retriever mix who is her mobility assistance service dog. He’s “off duty” in her office and loves when people stop by to say hello. They live in a little house in the country with a 13-year-old cat, Calliope, who generally runs the household.

My name is Abukar Sanei, and I am originally from Somalia. I earned my bachelor’s degree in international studies with the emphasis on World Economics and Business from Ohio State University, Columbus. Also, I completed my master’s degree in African Studies and a graduate certificate in International Development Studies (IDS) from Ohio University in 2015.

I am now pursuing my Ph.D. in Mass Communication as I am now in my fourth year as a Ph.D. candidate. My research areas in my Ph.D. program include media and migration and diaspora communities in the United States. My special focus in the diaspora communities is the Somali immigrants as my dissertation title is Somali Immigrants and Media Use for Political Integration in the United States.

My professional background is African Studies and International Development Studies as I worked as a practitioner/independent consultant with various institutions such as the United Nations, African Union, and the Somali government from 2016 to 2020.

Sima Wang is a PhD student in Mass Communication at the School of Media Arts and Studies, Ohio University. He earned his master’s degree in film and media studies from Chongqing University.

Prior to joining the PhD program at OU, he worked as a media writer for a Chinese online media platform and a trade journal based in Shanghai. The articles that he wrote focused on analyzing Chinese entertainment industry, TV variety shows, and films. He also translated English books on films for, and recommended English books to, publishing houses in China.

In addition to media related occupation, he also worked as the head of business department and project planner of a Chinese cultural and creative product company. The projects he managed include: Yongjiang Village (awarded as 2020 National Beautiful Leisure Village by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China), Xianfeng Village (summer resort featuring Chinese Hmong culture), and several cultural and creative products based on local culture in Yibin, China.

His research interests span over a wide range, including social media, health communication, media industry, cultural studies, digital labor, star studies, and cancel culture.

Qian Zhang is a Ph.D. candidate in mass communication in the School of Media Arts and Studies at Ohio University. She received her M.A. in film studies from the School of Film at Ohio University. Her current research focuses on motherhood in contemporary horror films by engaging with the theories of temporality. She has published articles on maternal horror and Asian American horror films, in which she adopts a cross-context perspective in horror studies with an emphasis on gender and race. Her paper, “It’s All About Repetition: Maternal Time in Horror from Jeanne Dielman (1975) to The Babadook (2014),” won the 2022 SCMS Horror SIG Graduate Student Prize. Her other research interests include media and gender, global art cinema, postcolonial and feminist film theory, and Asian/Asian American cinemas.