Program Overview

PhD in Rhetoric, Media, and Publics

The PhD in Rhetoric, Media, and Publics is a program offered by the School of Communication at Northwestern University.

Program Overview

The program focuses on the study of rhetoric, media, and publics, with a emphasis on the ways in which individuals and communities interact with and shape their social, cultural, and political environments.

Research Areas

The program encompasses a wide range of research areas, including:

• Democracy and social movements
• Memory and truth-producing discourses
• Media and identity
• Rhetorical theory and criticism
• Public culture and civic engagement
• Digital media and technology
• Global Asias as critique/method
• Digital migrant media
• Diasporic nightlife

Faculty and Students

The program is comprised of a diverse group of faculty and students, each with their own unique research interests and areas of expertise. Some of the current students in the program include:

• Ryan Bince, a doctoral candidate studying the history and practice of crowd control
• Vidura Jang Bahadur, a photographer and PhD candidate exploring the role of image-making practices in shaping individual and collective identities
• Eva R. Célem, a PhD candidate investigating Brazilian women's democratic ideals and their contributions to democratic theory and practice
• Bipin Sebastian, a doctoral candidate examining the conditions, limitations, and possibilities of minoritarian politics within democracies impacted by ethno-religious majoritarianism
• Skylar Clark, a fifth-year PhD candidate studying feminist responses to right-wing populist attacks on "gender ideology"
• Margaret Solice, a third-year PhD student completing coursework and anticipating her qualifying exams
• Elise De Los Santos, a second-year student studying how language used to describe identities evolves over time
• Behailu Shiferaw Mihirete, a third-year PhD student examining popular and institutional rhetorical practices and their roles in the constitution, performance, and negotiation of national identities and membership
• Paul Mart Jeyand J. Matangcas, an interdisciplinary researcher affiliated with the Critical Theory and Gender and Sexuality Studies clusters
• Iheanyi Genius Amaraizu, a PhD researcher in the HAT lab at Northwestern University
• Mario Ulloa, a first-year student in the rhetoric, media, and publics program
• Alloyah Abobi, a PhD student in Rhetoric, Media, and Publics
• Srishti Chatterjee, a second-year PhD student researching the rhetorics of credibility and expertise amidst information disorders in emerging tech environments
• Ifra Javed, a PhD student in the Rhetoric, Media and Publics doctoral program
• Karl Bullock, a PhD Candidate in the Rhetoric, Media, and Publics doctoral program
• Andy Acosta Jr, a Ph.D. student in the Rhetoric, Media, and Publics program
• Jay Nelson, a first-year PhD student in Rhetoric, Media, and Publics
• William Paik, a third-year Ph.D. student in Rhetoric, Media and Publics

Program Location

The PhD in Rhetoric, Media, and Publics is located in the Frances Searle Building, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208.

School of Communication

The School of Communication is located in the Office of the Dean, 70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208.