Faculty
Dr. Meara Faw was named a 2025 Best Teacher Award recipient by the CSU Alumni Association, a prestigious recognition driven by nominations from students and alumni who have experienced her outstanding work in the classrooms of Colorado State University. The award celebrates her dynamic teaching style and her enduring influence on students’ academic and professional journeys.
Dr. Scott Diffrient’s essay “A knowledge of horror or the horror of knowledge? Frightfully insightful directors’ commentaries on Blu-rays and DVDs” was published in the latest issue of Screen. The piece explores how DVD and Blu-ray commentary tracks reshape our understanding of horror films, examining the complex relationship between behind-the-scenes knowledge and viewer experience.
Dr. Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager’s episode of the Academic Minute on cultural othering was selected for the “Best of 2024” list. Drawing from her expertise and international experience, Dr. Khrebtan-Hörhager’s segment offers compelling insights into the paradox of cultural othering and its global impact.
Dr. Nick Marx and co-author Dr. Matt Sienkiewicz published an insightful piece in The Conversation titled “How liberals lost comedy — and helped Trump win.” Their analysis examines how liberal satire has failed to evolve, and how the right has depicted itself as the new home for comedy and free speech.
Dr. Marx also shared his media expertise in The Economist’s analysis of Fox News phenomenon Greg Gutfeld, “Greg Gutfeld, America’s most popular late-night host, rules the airwaves.” Marx’s insights help contextualize the shifting landscape of late-night television and political comedy in contemporary media.
Dr. Natalie Pennington shared her expertise on KUNC’s “In the NoCo,” exploring friendship goals and relationship-building for the new year. The episode offers practical insights on how to create and maintain meaningful friendships.
Additionally, Dr. Pennington was also notified by the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships that she was in the top 10% of reviewers for 2024. The journal noted the quality, number, and timeliness of reviews completed.
Graduate Students
Lauren Buisker’s compelling essay, “Articulating Hierarchical Victimhood: Rhetorical Mirroring in Anti-Fat and Rape Culture Discourses” was published in Rhetoric Society Quarterly. Her work examines the intersections between different forms of victimhood discourse, highlighting the vital importance of studying how these conversations shape our cultural understanding.
Reese Klotz and Lauren Buisker received top awards at the Central States Communication Association Convention. Klotz received both the top panel award in the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity division and a top five paper in Communication Theory. Buisker received a top panel award in Communication Education.
Microcosm Publishing, an independent publisher based in Portland, Oregon, published graduate student Riana Slyter’s zine on horror film and television. This zine is the culmination of a final project she worked on in Dr. Kit Hughes’ Professional Writing class.
Under Riana’s mentorship, undergraduate student Bridget Poulter earned a nomination for the College of Liberal Arts Outstanding Graduate Award. Poulter particularly credits Riana’s “Gender and Genre in the Horror Film” course, noting how its academic rigor and Riana’s passionate teaching approach shaped her academic journey.