Meet our Communication and Media Studies PhD Program Alumni

Students in our communication and media studies graduate program develop the knowledge, skill, and research portfolios to claim teaching and research posts at top universities and think tanks around the world. But their analytic and research skills set them apart in any field. A communication and media studies degree offers a solid foundation that can springboard you into academia or a career in media, government, law, or nonprofit work. See what some of our graduates are up to now:

portrait of Emrakeb Woldeargay
SOJC PhD Candidate Profiled in Alumni Article
Media and women's rights activist Emrakeb Woldearegay shares her journey traveling from Ethiopia to Eugene with her family to pursue her dream of earning a doctorate in communication and media studies.
Tewodros "Teddy" Workneh
A life in global communication: From Ethiopia to Oregon
Prior to moving to Eugene to join the doctoral program at the UO School of Journalism and Communication, Teddy Workneh had no knowledge of Oregon and hardly any about the United States, but he was passionate about the research opportunity.
Kumi Silva faces the camera while sitting in front of a book shelf.
PhD Alumni Profile: Kumi Silva '04 examines intersections of gender, feminism and identity
Gender, feminism and identity scholar Kumi Silva studied social movements in her native Sri Lanka and in India. Now, as an associate professor at a major university, she gets “paid to learn.”
Beck Banks
PhD profile: Beck Banks explores how rural life impacts trans individuals
Beck Banks, now an assistant professor of communication at Warren Wilson College, researches how life in rural environments impacts trans individuals by studying trans media producers in their native Appalachia.
Dr. Erica Ciszek speaks in front of a screen while wearing a brown blazer.
Alumni Profile: Erica Ciszek, PhD '14, uses public relations to promote change
Erica Ciszek is helping the world better understand how strategic communication impacts gender and LGBTQ issues, and how it influences social change in politics, policies and pop culture.
Sonia De La Cruz
PhD alumni profile: Researcher and filmmaker Sonia De La Cruz explores intersections and margins
Documentary filmmaker Sonia De La Cruz uses her keen eye and creative intellect to help bring about positive change in the home health care industry.
Bryce Peake
Alumni Profile: Bryce Macher, data scientist for Hilton’s Innovation Lab
Bryce Macher uses his media expertise gained in the Communication and Media Studies PhD program to improve brand strength and customer hospitality for international hotel giant Hilton.
Kathleen Ryan
Alumni profile: Kathleen Ryan uses interactive documentary to show a different side of feminism
After 18 years in broadcast journalism, filmmaker Kathleen Ryan broke new ground with “Pin Up! The Movie,” an interactive documentary and the first-ever movie about pinup culture.
Raul Reis
PhD alumni profile: Raul Reis ’98, Dean of the School of Journalism and Media, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Longtime journalist Raul Reis developed into a world-class academic as a PhD candidate at the SOJC. Now he’s the dean of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism and Media.
Ashley Cordes
Ashley Cordes sees culture in Native American currency
An enrolled citizen of the Coquille Nation and an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at UO, Ashley Cordes researched how groups communicate their identities through media, with a focus on currency as a communication medium among Native American populations.