Research and Presentations

I completed my Masters in Journalism (Mass Communication Research) at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2010, and am now undertaking my PhD through the CU ATLAS Program. My research to date has covered the following areas:

1. The mediation and mediatization of breastfeeding and its relationship to societal norms. On February 18, 2009 I presented a segment of my research at Ignite 3 in Boulder.

2. The integration of Web 2.0 communication with professional journalism and associated ethical issues. I produced a paper that focused on the case study of the (now closed) Rocky Mountain News and the ethical implications of its use of Twitter to report from the funeral of a child killed in an accident. I recommend a model for using Twitter as part of a traditional reporting toolkit.

3. My thesis studied the strength of social capital online in social media. Leading up to it, I produced a paper on the use of speech acts (hashtags, @ and retweets) and discourse/turn taking on Twitter to perform identity work and associations between people. This paper was key to my invitation to attend the Rutgers Invitational Masters Student Institute in New York in 2009. I met some firm friends at IMSI and have very fond memories.

6. I presented as part of a panel with some amazing women at the Mom 2.0 Summit in Houston in February, 2010. We considered Strategy and the brand of your blog. It was freaking awesome.

6. I am interested in how social media brings people together in ways that were not possible before – across geography, topics of connection and social strata. The latent sphere of the network society indicates that relationships formed on social media are actually breaking through barriers that exist in offline society. While many will talk to anyone online, they would not do so face to face. Think of the homeless speaking with a celebrity. There are plenty more, but that’s just one.

7. I am also interested in what makes people share incredibly personal journeys through social media. A death of a child or spouse; marital breakdown; personal health journey, etc.

8. I have co-written a book chapter on Media Literacy in the Digital Age, presented at 2009 COLTT Conference on Twitter, and in 2011 presented on The Forgotten Aspects of Media Literacy for the same conference.

9. My PhD. work considers how social technologies can be used by communities in the intermediate and long-term recovery following disaster events, with a view to improving time to recover as well as resilience. My role in the Project EPIC lab is focused on the user behavior aspects of social media (social capital, engagement, etc).

10. I am an active speaker and supporter of opening up the area of Computer Science and technological subjects to a greater range of students, who perhaps have diverse backgrounds and bring valuable expertise to the domain. The field of human computer interaction needs a great variety of backgrounds to help inform design and products that will meet and surpass the needs of users. Coders can’t – and shouldn’t – do it all. I have presented in high schools in America and Australia on the work of Project EPIC, the role of women in technological pursuits, and to encourage girls to consider a career or course of study in computer science.

If you would like to be interviewed for any area of my research, or read any of my work, please feel free to access the form on the Contacts page. I am particularly interested in discourse with academics in the same fields, and with those who have particular experiences to share.

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