Three Faculty Join Department

Three new faculty members joined the Department of Communication this fall.

Grant Bollmer joined the department as an assistant professor in communication media. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011. He earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Wake Forest University.

Dr. Bollmer’s research examines a wide range of issues related to the history and theory of digital media. He is the author of Inhuman Networks: Social Media and the Archaeology of Connection (Bloomsbury, 2016), and is completing a book titled Theorizing Digital Cultures (Sage). He has taught at universities in Australia and New Zealand before returning to North Carolina. His most recent research examines the history of affect in psychology and its relationship to digital models of the face used in social media, video games and animation.

Jean Goodwin joined the department and the new Public Science cluster as a professor. Her Ph.D. is in Rhetoric from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996. She also earned a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago, where she also received her B.A.

Dr. Goodwin’s research and teaching focus on how citizens who deeply disagree can nevertheless manage to coordinate a productive exchange of reasons. Her work on argumentation has included inquiry into the basic principles for making arguments that are both good and effective; case studies of debates such as that over entry into the first Gulf War; computer-assisted argument analysis; and research into how students learn to argue well. Recently she has begun examining the special challenges scientists face when they enter into the sometimes harsh controversies characteristic of our democracy, with ongoing studies of scientists’ talk about climate change and GMOs.

Nicole Lee joined the department as an assistant professor in public relations. She holds a Ph.D. in Media and Communication from Texas Tech University in 2016. She earned her B.A. and M.A. degrees from San Diego State University.

Dr. Lee’s research focuses on the intersection of science communication, public relations and digital media. Her primary program of research examines how public relations practitioners can utilize online dialogue to more effectively communicate about science with lay audiences. She is particularly interested in communication about politically polarized topics such as climate change. Lee has professional public relations experience in a variety of industries, including the sciences, which informs her research and teaching.