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Ji-Hyun Ahn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
I am a global media studies scholar specializing in media globalization, cultural identity, and East Asian media and popular culture. In my teaching, I encourage students to critically examine the intersections of media, culture, and power from a global media studies perspective and guide them in analyzing diverse media cases through a critical lens.
David Coon, Ph.D.
Professor
I teach a range of courses that emphasize the critical study of film, television, advertising, and other popular media. I also teach courses that develop skills in the areas of video production and improvisational theater.
Sonia De La Cruz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
My teaching centers on critical media practices for storytelling and social change. In my courses, I engage in a variety of topics to explore how theory and practice help students develop essential media skills and communication strategies needed in our media-driven world. I also teach skills-based media production courses, like video and documentary film production, and support the Latino Studies Minor.
Chris Demaske, Ph.D.
Professor
My teaching at UW Tacoma predominantly focuses on courses for our Communication Major, as well as supporting the Law and Policy Major. My course offerings cover both skills-based courses and theory-based courses. My skills courses focus on media writing for students interested in pursuing professional careers in the media, while my theory courses cover a range of topics with an emphasis on communication law and free speech.
Bill Kunz, Ph.D.
Professor
I contribute to two different areas of the Communication curriculum, offering both skills-based courses and theory-based courses. The skills-based courses include our video production sequence as well as a course on nonfiction writing for television. The theory-based courses range from Media & Society at the 200-level to Political Economy of the Media at the 400-level.
Divya McMillan, Ph.D.
Professor and Associate Vice Chancellor
I am proud to be the founding faculty of the Communication major, which launched in 2000. It was created through collaborations with media professionals and scholars in this beautiful global port city to address the urgent need for graduates with the knowledge and skills to analyze and communicate the great challenges of our world. I taught courses in global media, media criticism, media ethics, and media writing.
Ellen Moore, Ph.D.
Teaching Professor
Teaching at UW Tacoma since 2010, I cherish our smaller class sizes, which fit with my Socratic teaching approach—encouraging students to develop critical thinking skills through thoughtful questioning and response. My courses - in Artificial Intelligence, Ecology, Inequality, and Popular Culture, Media Ethics, and Media & Society - challenge students to analyze the media landscape and social systems around them, including the increasingly important social implications of artificial intelligence. I have published in the area of environmental justice and the media.
Randy Nichols
Professor and CAC Department Chair
My teaching and research focus on how we can communicate more effectively and on understanding how we get the media we do so we can make that better. Whether it is in a course like Media & Society, Writing and Design for Multimedia, or Political Economy of Media, my goal is to help students better understand their world and to help them shape into the world they want.
Alexandra Leah Nutter
Associate Teaching Professor
Alexandra joined the Communication faculty at UW-Tacoma in 2013. She teaches theory-based courses from TCOM101: Critical Media Literacy to TCOM453: Critical Approaches to Mass Communication and works with students following the major's Research Track.
Huatong Sun
Professor
I teach skill-based courses with a critical design thinking approach, covering print design, web design, digital & social media, mobile communication, AI, user experience, and global design. As we engage in design projects to transform our communities, we’re seen by ourselves, achieving empowerment from within.