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Department
of Communication & Journalism
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Dr. Rodríguez´s undergraduate teaching assignments in C&J include news writing and reporting for the print media, introduction to mass communication, international media systems, and multiculturalism, gender and media. In the graduate program, she has taught the courses Foundations of Communication Research and Qualitative Research Methods. Professor Rodríguez obtained a Ph.D. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Minnesota, where she specialized in history of journalism, with a focus on ethnic minorities and media, and in international communication with emphasis on Latin America. She has an M.A. in Latin American studies from the University of California and a B.A. in public communication from the University of Puerto Rico, with journalism coursework completed at the State University of New York. As a doctoral student, she was selected as a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur scholar at the MacArthur Center for Peace and International Cooperation and received a dissertation fellowship to investigate the cultural role of the Puerto Rican press during the island´s period of industrialization (1948-1963). With a professional background in print journalism, she has worked for newspapers and Latino publications in Puerto Rico, California, Louisiana and Minnesota. Research: Sample Publications:
Service: Some of my recent professional, university and community service activities reflect my concern with journalism education and interest in minority education and community empowerment. I have served as officer of the Minorities and Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication since 2003. I am also a reviewer of manuscripts for Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly and have served in that capacity for Mass Media and Society and Critical Studies in Media Communication. For the past five years, I've contributed as a reviewer of conference papers for the Minorities and Communication and Newspaper divisions of AEJMC. At the University of New Mexico, I have served on the Executive Board of the Women Studies Program and participated as a member of the Latin American Faculty Council, KUNM-FM radio board, and the Southwest Hispanic Research Institute. My activities as a mentor for UNM graduate students of color and collaborations with Albuquerque High School programs have enriched my experience at UNM. Methods: From critical perspectives, I have employed the methods of discourse analysis, frame analysis and rhetorical criticism to elucidate media narratives and their ideological underpinnings. I have also conducted focus group interviews and survey research using quantitative methods. Teaching
Style: I use multiple teaching methods to encourage students to relate to class material in creative ways, make connections across disciplinary boundaries, question received knowledge, and offer problem-solving ideas. I like to design class activities that give students the opportunity to apply principles and concepts learned in class, and reflect on the ethical and political dilemmas posed by current technological and economic trends in mass media. At the graduate level, I devote my efforts to: 1) teach students how to formulate and complete a research project, 2) use diverse teaching methods to expose them to a variety of qualitative methods and the theoretical paradigms that inform them, and 3) provide support to advance their academic careers through individual consultation regarding thesis and dissertation projects, conference presentations or fellowship applications. | |||||||
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