Graduate Student Directory

Communication, Culture & Media

	Nick Coffman (he/him) Email: nlc59@drexel.edu Research Interests: Consumer culture, Digital media, ethnography, Internet culture, Music subculture LinkedIn – Biography Nick is a doctoral candidate in the CCM program. His research explores notions of social status and identity within online consumer communities and digital and streaming media. His dissertation project is an ethnographic study of the tension between capitalism and creativity in the online guitar effects pedal community. Nick will join Indiana State University as an Assistant Professor of Communication beginning fall 2024.
	Essien Essien he/him/his Email: eoe25@drexel.edu Research Interests: Comparative media, Social construction, Digital capitalism, Media effects, Critical theory, Digital activism LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/essien-oku-essien-58356523b Biography Essien Oku is a first year PhD student in the department of Communication, Culture and Media Studies (CCM), Drexel University and he situates his research on the intersection of the social media technology and digital activism with further emphasis on how this technology drives digital capitalism in the Americas. Essien also explores Critical Theory and its corroboration with digital culture, technology, and society. He has won the Common Grounds Emerging Scholar Awards twice and now serves as a peer reviewer for journals published by the Common Grounds Research Network at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Essien holds a First Class (Honors) Bachelor's degree in Communication from the Cross River University of Technology, Nigeria, and his numerous research publications and presentations as well as his active involvements in the actualization of the UN-SDGs had earned him an Award of Recognition from the Thirst Foundation, Melbourne, Australia as well as other international recognitions. Prior to Drexel’s CCM-PhD program, Essien worked primarily as a media research consultant with the Real Plexus Education Consult in Nigeria.
	David Frank he/him Email: david.frank@drexel.edu Research Interests: Post-network television, Media convergence, Animation, Media effects, Globalization, Popular culture LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-frank-writer/ Biography David Frank is a second-year Doctoral student in Drexel University’s Media, Culture and Communication PhD program. He grew up in the Philly suburbs and studied screenwriting and fiction at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2018, he started a podcast with his cousin discussing tropes and cliches in television and film before deciding to apply for a Master's in Film Studies at the University of Southern California. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down campus during his first year and he completed the program back home in Pennsylvania. Because of the lockdowns, he became interested in the applications of Television studies and media effects to Zoom and work-from-home. He presented a paper on Zoom Reunion Specials and Zoom Television at USC’s First Forum Graduate Student Conference. His research also includes political communication on Twitter and celebrity amplification of political messages in the news. His research into the political economy of streaming television has led him to focus on the outsourced creative labor in TV and film animation. He received the Daniel Walden Award for best Graduate Paper from the 2023 MAPACA conference for his paper “In-Between Seoul and Springfield: Korean Animation and The Simpsons,” and he presented a paper at the 2024 PCA conference about the global distribution of animation labor in co-productions with Netflix Animation Studios. He hopes to teach classes about Political Satire in the media and about the evolution of the American Sitcom.
	Luis Grande he/him Email: ig344@drexel.edu Research Interests: Artificial Intelligence, Human-Machine Communication (HMC), Mediation technologies, Media ecology, Hyperreality, Media representation, Semiotics LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisalejandrogrande Biography Luis was born and raised in Venezuela. He grew up in a turbulent political climate that included coups d'etat, civil unrest, the rise of socialism, and a transition from corporate-owned to state-controlled media. These experiences led Luis to dedicate himself to the study and praxis of media and communication. He has worked in this field for more than a decade: as a TV producer, radio producer, journalist, videographer, film editor, film critic, instructor and activist. In 2012 Luis obtained a BA in Media Production from the University of Puerto Rico. He later moved to Miami where he obtained a MA in Liberal Studies (2017). He then returned to Puerto Rico to complete a MA in Communication with a focus on theory and research (2020). For his Master's in Communication, Luis wrote a paper on the manifestations of identity within communication processes mediated by Facebook. Luis is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Communication, Culture and Media, and a Blue Fellow at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Luis is presently engaged in the process of researching and writing his dissertation, which focuses on exploring social relationships between individuals and the chatbot known as Replika.
	Sonika Lamichhane she/her Email: sl3859@drexel.edu Research Interests: Social media, Fake news, Minsinformation, Digital media LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonika-lamichhane-7b0b36220/ Biography Sonika is a PhD student of communication, culture, and media. She completed her undergraduate studies at St. Xavier's College, majoring in English and journalism. She got a Bidya Bhusan B, the most prestigious literary award from the president in 2018, and a gold medal from the education minister for securing the highest grades in her Masters degree. During her master's studies, Sonika delved into research exploring the effects of social networking sites on adolescents. This research sparked her interest in fake news and misinformation, fueling her passion for investigating and addressing these pressing issues. She started her career as an intern at a well-known media company, Sagarmatha Television, in Nepal, working as a reporter for three months. Then she joined the state-owned radio station Radio Nepal in 2018 and worked as a full-time news editor and news reader. Simultaneously, she also worked as a part-time lecturer in journalism at St. Xavier’s College, Kathmandu, a renowned college in Nepal, in 2017. Apart from this, she has written many articles and done voiceovers for many documentaries in Nepal.
	Alice Liu she/her/hers Email: al3582@drexel.edu Research Interests: Gender identity, Culture studies, Chinese studies, Social media LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-liu-755521136/ Biography As a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Drexel University's Culture Communication and Media program, my research centers on the confluence of gender identity, reproductive justice, and the transformative impact of social media, particularly within the context of Chinese society. Grounded in the traditions of cultural studies and feminist phenomenology, my work delves into online discourses concerning women's bodily experiences such as body shaming, abortion, and more. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach, I aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of the multifaceted relationships between media, gender identity, and social change in contemporary China. Prior to Drexel, I completed my Bachelor's degree at Truman State University and Master's degree at University of Cincinnati in communication.
	Janna MacPherson Email: jm4746@drexel.edu Research Interests: Representations of Prisons and Criminality in Media, Critical/Cultural Rhetorical Frameworks, Intersectionality in Feminist Theory, Political Communication LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/janna-macpherson-431213132 Biography Janna is a fourth-year PhD student in Drexel's Communication, Culture and Media program. Her graduate research interests center around the framing of policing, prisons, surveillance, and justice in hegemonic media narratives. Janna has worked in various political offices and has focused on constituent advocacy, a core value that she implements within her research. She also grew up and spent her whole life in Philadelphia, which has inspired her to center her research around the narratives of oppressed and marginalized communities here in her own city. Janna sees academic research as one tenet of social justice that must be followed with community organizing and participation in mass movements.
	Alejandro Manga he/el Email: am4725@drexel.edu Research Interests: Mobility justice and transportation equity, Bike movements and cultures, Environmental and planning discourses, Qualitative Research methods in planning and transportation studies, Visual and mobile ethnography LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandro-manga-tinoco-13143896/ Biography Alejandro is a Ph.D. candidate from Colombia. An economist and historian by training, he started his professional life working for consulting firms working on network, transport, and urban economics. An activist interested in environmental causes since 2012, he drifted towards the world of bike cultures and bike advocacy through a local bike kitchen on the French side of the Greater Geneva area, where he moved for grad school. For his master's thesis, he was invited as a Visiting Graduate Researcher to UCLA. Serendipity changed his life when the admissions officers in charge of his file told him that cycling in LA sucked, and he should do something about it. It was bike week at UCLA, and during the first conference he listened to, he met the organizers of People from Mobility Justice. Alejandro changed his topic of research to bike advocacy and mobility justice, asked Mimi Sheller to become his adviser, and started his Ph.D. journey. His research studies the role of bike movements in ecological transitions. Since their emergence in the late 19th century, bike movements have afforded social innovations like paved roads, mobility justice, mountain biking, and bike shares, as well as affording spaces of emancipation for blacks, women, and migrants. They serve as conduits for policies and practices like mobility justice and bike kitchens, and they have effectively lobbied for better cycling and walking policies by writing the policies, mobilizing in the ground to pressure for social change, and communicating about it.
	Dacia Pajé Email: dp932@drexel.edu Research Interests: Feminist Media Studies, Portrayals of Sexual Violence and Rape Culture in Media, Social Justice Studies, Crime & Legal Dramas, Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis, Courtroom Semiotics, Feminist Legal Studies. LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dacia-pajé-78ba984a/ Biography Dacia came to Drexel University from Milan, Italy, where she obtained her BA in Law and her MA in Communication for International Relations. As a requirement for her masters’ degree, she took an internship in Washington, DC for the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK). During that time, she had the chance to collaborate with North Korean survivors and developed her interest for human rights and NGO’s communication. After this, she returned to Italy and started working part-time for a PR agency (Golin Italia) and a non-profit organization (Transparency International Italia). In 2019, she came back to the USA to attend the master’s program in CCM at Drexel University, where she is now a PhD Candidate. Her research agenda focuses on the televised construction of sexual violence and rape culture, with particular attention on the onscreen portrayals of courtrooms and their influence on the audience. She is also interested in the online discourse around rape culture and in legal discourses around sex crimes inside the courtroom.
	Hana Park Email: hp484@drexel.edu Research Interests: Health Communication, Social Cognition, Misinformation, Decisions Under Uncertainty LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanapark316 Biography Hana Park is a PhD student of Communication, Culture, and Media at Drexel University. She received her BA from Catholic University of Korea, where she studied cultural theories, anthropology, popular culture, and sociolinguistics. She focuses her research on health communication and social cognition, and also critically explores how misinformation is spread on social media. She has recently worked in academic institutions as administrator and advisor at the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) in South Korea, extending her experience in working and communicating with diverse international students as well as organizational structures.
	Maggie Riegel she/her Email: msr342@drexel.edu Research Interests: Popular culture, queer and gender theory, critical race theory, intersectionality, horror studies, memes, memetic culture, and social media LinkedIn – Biography Maggie Riegel is a third year PhD candidate of Communication, Culture, and Media at Drexel University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and political science from Moravian University and a master’s degree in political science from Lehigh University. After working in the service industry and nonprofit world for several years, she returned to school in 2020 to complete a master’s certificate in women, gender, and sexuality studies from Lehigh University before enrolling at Drexel. Her research interests include gender and queer studies, critical race theory, feminist theory, horror studies, and other academic disciplines that challenges structures of power and hegemony. As an avid horror addict since childhood, her dissertation research explores intersectional representations of motherhood within the popular television series, American Horror Story. She lives in Bethlehem, PA with her spouse, her five cats, and her White Swiss Shepherd, Marx.
	Giuseppe Salomone Email: salomojj@drexel.edu Research Interests: Homosexuality and media effects, Intersectionality and the LGBTQA+ sectors, The LGBTQA+ experience and perspective, Sex and the city, Liminality, rites of passage and homosexuality, Media’s impact on the perceptions of gay culture, Media and the AIDS epidemic and its overall impact on the perception of gay males, The liminal states of gay male culture, The sociological Imagination, The performance and the looking glass self LinkedIn – Biography Giuseppe has received most of his education from Drexel University. He is a gay activist and has worked on many committees and boards within and across Higher Education (including President of Drexel’s LGBTQA alumni group, the LGBTQA faculty and staff resource group and AACRAO’s LGBTQA+ caucus) to better the LGBTQA+ experience for faculty, staff, and students. His research domains center on media’s portrayal of gay culture and its impact on mainstream’s perception and acceptance of homosexuality. In his spare time, he enjoys music, science fiction graphic novels, vintage thrift shops and collecting vintage vinyl. He currently lives in the Graduate Hospital section of Philadelphia, with his partner Eric and their three chihuahuas, Farrah, Harper, and Winter.
	Qingyue Sun Email: qs63@drexel.edu Research Interests: LinkedIn – Biography Qingyue started to study Strategic Commutation and Public Relations at Purdue University in 2013. While studying at Purdue, she worked as a public relations associate for several companies in London, Xi’an, and West Lafayette, Indiana. After completing her BA, Qingyue decided to continue her study abroad journey in London, studying communication from a social psychology perspective. Past working experience and international study experience motivated her to pursue her research interests at Drexel. Qingyue’s research interests mainly center on social media and social media labor. Her dissertation research involves social media content producers and labor issues in the Chinese social media landscape.
	John Timlin Email: jt3367@drexel.edu Research Interests: Propaganda, Biopolitics, Interstate Highways as Capillaries for Capital Flows, Critical Theory, Violence in Media LinkedIn – Biography John is a second-year PhD student in the Communication, Culture and Media department at Drexel University. His graduate work at the master’s level centered on the intersection of biopolitics, violence, and representations of violence in media and literature, with a particular focus on the nature of violence and movement in the novels of Frank Norris, Martin Amis, and Roberto Bolaño. Between his undergraduate and graduate degrees John founded a consulting firm in Las Vegas that specialized in business operations, regulatory affairs, and project management. His research at Drexel focuses on violence, imprisonment, and alienation as entertainment, the interaction of capital and physical bodies, and how these interactions are represented in various forms of media. John lives in South Philadelphia with his wife, Erin.
	Ian Zimmermann he/him Email: ibz23@drexel.edu Research Interests: Algorave, Critical theory, Intercultural communication, Sound studies, (Post-)subcultural studies, Ethnography LinkedIn – Biography A former ESL teacher and Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Brazil (Universidade Federal do Pará, 2015), Ian teaches courses in linguistics, intercultural communication, and public speaking. His ethnographic dissertation research focuses on algorave, or the intersection between creative coding and electronic music. He investigates notions of liveness, affect, subcultural capital, and the mainstream-underground binary among users of the TidalCycles live coding environment. Ian can regularly be found performing as “c@law” Saturday afternoons during the Estuary “WeekEndJam” streamed live on the eulerroom Twitch channel.