Nathian Shae Rodriguez named first Associate Director for the School of JMS

Rodriguez will focus on student success and faculty advancement with an eye to equity and inclusion

by Mirelle N. Schwalbach

August 16, 2022

Temple Northup, Director of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, has appointed Nathian (Nate) Shae Rodriguez as the first Associate Director for the school. Announcing the new role Northup said, "Dr. Nate is one of our most passionate and committed faculty members. He brings great vision for ways in which the school can improve and is dedicated to ensuring equity and inclusion for all students, staff, faculty and members of the JMS community.” 

Rodriguez specializes in critical-cultural and digital media studies. He obtained his B.A. in Mass Communication and his Masters of Journalism and Mass Communication with a Concentration in Public Relations before receiving in Ph.D in Mass Communication. His research focuses on minority representation in media, specifically LGBTQ and Latinx portrayals and identity negotiation, as well as pop culture, identity, radio broadcasting, and issues of masculinity. Before pursuing academia, he was a professional on-air radio DJ for 13 years with a background in sales, promotions, and social media marketing.

"Student success and faculty advancement have always been top priority in all I do and this leadership opportunity will allow me to amplify that priority,” said Rodriguez. "The duties of the role will focus on equity and inclusion issues in addition to the daily operations of the School. I'm most excited to work on closing student equity gaps, creating more equitable pathways to tenure for faculty, and collaborating with our JMS family to create more inclusive course content."

The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.

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