4027 Vincennes Place, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70125
(504) 256-9554
asmith41@tulane.edu
EDUCATION
University of Hawaii
Ph.D., American Studies, 2013
Dissertation: All In The Family: Modern U.S. Presidential Campaigns, Gender Performance, and Compensatory Heterosexuality
Chair: Mari Yoshihara; Advisors: David Stannard, Robert Perkinson, Vernadette Gonzalez, and Kathy Ferguson
Exam Fields: Gender and Popular Culture, Race in the 20th Century, American Masculinities
Graduate Certificate, Women’s Studies, 2007
Capstone Project: Competing Masculinities: Gendered Representations of the Victim and the Enemy in the 9/11 Attacks
University of Florida
Master of Arts, Mass Communication, 1999
Concentration: Telecommunications
Thesis: Network Television News Magazines: Bringing Sensational Journalism to Primetime
Chair: Kurt Kent; Advisors: James Babanikos and David Ostroff
Columbia University, Barnard College
Bachelor of Arts, American Studies, 1998
Thesis Advisor: Mark Carnes
PUBLICATIONS
Book: Gender, Heteronormativity, and the American Presidency (Routledge, 2018)
Article: “Galvanizing Grief: Black Maternal Politics and The Pursuit of Elected Office”
for the "Intersectional Analysis of Women of Color Political Elites in the US" special issue in The Journal of Women, Politics and Policy. Published online: 27 May 2022
Chapter: “The Glamour of Ivanka: white supremacy and the question of women's equality in the Trump administration” in The Fascist Allure: Gender, Race, and Political Culture in the Trump Era, eds. Christine Kray and Uli Linke. (Routledge, 2021)
Encyclopedia entry: “Norman Lear” In R. Chapman, & J. Ciment (Eds.), Culture wars in America: An encyclopedia of issues, viewpoints, and voices (2nd ed.). London, UK: Routledge. 2014
Encyclopedia entry: “Dr. Phil,” in Gendai amerika no ki-wa-do [Keywords for contemporary America], edited by Mari Yoshihara and Yujin Yaguchi (Tokyo: Chuko-shinsho, 2006)
PUBLIC SCHOLARSHIP
Article: The Washington Post’s The Monkey Cage Blog, “When Black women use motherhood’s power to advocate for Black lives.” May 9, 2021
Op-Ed: The Hill, “The overlooked significance Kamala Harris brought to the Biden-Harris ticket.” November 11, 2020.
Frequent contributor to Voice of America Russian Service. 2019-present
IN PROGRESS
Book proposal: Influencers, Followers, and Activists: Conservative Maternal Politics in the Age of Social Media, the project explores women’s engagement in politics through online platforms across a swath of American communities. From Instagram influencers that argue for health coverage for disabled children to Mormon mommy blogs’ call for the ordination of women to Kim Kardashian’s lobbying for prison abolition via her brand empire, political engagement has evolved, and I argue, further gendered ways that women can and do take part in public policy debates. The work examines particular case studies, but ultimately argues for a new consideration of how women enter the political arena, and the impact of what has dismissively been referred to as “clickivism.”
Article: “Tools of the Trade: Persuasive Communications for Feminist Practice.” Intended for submission to Communication Teacher.
Article: “Gender, research, and the undergraduate experience: Assessing an honors interdisciplinary cohort program for women” Intended for submission to The Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education.
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
Newcomb College Institute, Tulane University New Orleans, LA March 2011-present
Administrative Associate Professor, Director, Newcomb Scholars Program— August 2018-present
Leads this interdisciplinary undergraduate honors program of approximately 80 students focused on feminist leadership and scholarship, including curriculum development and outcomes assessment. Directs recruitment and admissions process and chairs selection committee. Advises students as they pursue undergraduate research and experiential learning opportunities. Liaises with development staff to connect students to donors through stewardship initiatives. Manages program budget of approximately $100,000, managing both endowed and current use accounts. Has improved student retention rate by approximately 40% in first twelve months in the position. Serves as advisor of peer-edited undergraduate journal Case Studies in Women, Gender, and Feminism.
Administrative Assistant Professor of Advancement Communications—October 2013-July 2018
Continued as the chief content creator of marketing and publications material, with expanded duties including management and budgeting responsibilities. Led a team of five professional (including fundraisers, alumnae affairs staff, graphic designers and administrative assistants) responsible for marketing and communications in support of NCI’s communications and fundraising initiatives. Donor participation increased for the organization during this period. Continued student engagement activities including undergraduate teaching and advising of multiple student organizations. Developed the Institute’s feminist film initiatives including screenings, campus visits from leaders in the profession, and travel to women’s film festivals.
External Affairs Officer— March 2011-October 2013
Created all communications materials targeting alumnae, students and donors of Newcomb College Institute, including short form articles, fundraising collateral, and event promotional materials. Served as the executive editor of NEWCOMB magazine, a periodical targeting alumnae and current parents with a circulation of approximately 30,000. Prepared press releases for events and research initiatives as needed. Provided guidance and support for alumnae relations staff concerning constituency management of volunteer boards and councils.
Barnard College, New York, NY November 2002-July 2005
Associate Director of Regional Alumnae Programs— Created communications materials for regional and affinity groups. Built positive attitudes about the college through managed relationships. Facilitated all facets of alumnae-focused events throughout the United States from inception to completion. Worked with faculty and notable alumnae to develop stimulating programming. Interfaced with graphic designers to create invitations and mass mailings. Coordinated all logistical aspects of event management with vendors, including printers, caterers, and support staff.
NextBus Information Systems, Inc. Emeryville, CA June 2000-May 2002
Director of Corporate Communications—Supervised all aspects of public relations, marketing and collateral material development. Responsibilities included management of all industry and corporate events, including tradeshows, press conferences, client group meetings, and investor functions. Worked directly with the media to generate favorable coverage, including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, WIRED, The Washington Post, Business Week, The Los Angeles Times, Computer World, Information Week, and USA Today. Provided media training for top executives. Created content for corporate pages of www.NextBus.com. Authored customer newsletter. Wrote white papers for transportation industry publications. Served as spokesperson at transportation industry events, including panel discussions and forums.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Tulane University
Newcomb College Institute, Spring 2015-present
INTU 1000: History and Philosophy of Higher Education: The Role of College Women
Interdisciplinary honors course examining the social and political history of higher education with special emphasis on the transformation of women and the college landscape from the 19th century to present day. Using historical and literary frameworks to generate and address and answer questions about college women today, this course considers the social and political culture of various decades and its influence on college culture, women's colleges, women in college, and narratives about college life.
Tulane Interdisciplinary Seminar, Fall 2017-present
TIDES 1981: Frames, Films and Femmes Fatales
Developed this critical survey of cinematic works by and about women, with examples drawn from different modes of cinematic expression (mainstream fiction films as well as alternative film and video [including documentaries, experimental, & narrative]) and from different historical periods (from the 1930s to the present). The course deploys feminist approaches to film criticism and applies these approaches to cinematic representations of women.
Political Science Department, Fall 2016
POLA 3012: Presidential Campaign Communications
Designed this course exploring the development of the modern United States presidential campaign, with an emphasis on mass media. Key questions considering the development of new communications technologies, the class will consider the creation of narrative across radio, television and social media outlets.
Communication Department, Fall 2012-present
COMM 3810: Communication for Feminist Activism
Created this service-learning course designed to provide students with tools to address women’s issues on campus and in their community. Students developed the skills behind successful advocacy campaigns, including website design, coalition building, social media constituency development, op-ed writing, and persuasive public speaking.
Ithaca College
Speech Communications Department, Fall 2009
Lecturer— Teaching responsibilities included creation of lectures, development of syllabus, management of online course content. Taught two sections of SPCM 11500: Business and Professional Communications.
Cornell University
School of Hotel Administration, Fall 2007-Spring 2009
Visiting Lecturer—Teaching responsibilities included creation of lectures, development of syllabi, individual writing tutorials with undergraduate students, and contribution to curriculum evaluation. Specific classes taught were HA1165: Managerial Communication I and HA3365: Managerial Communication II.
University of Hawaii
American Studies Department, Fall 2005-Spring 2007
Lecturer—Teaching responsibilities include creation of lectures, development of syllabus and selection of texts, and individual tutorials with undergraduate students. Taught multiple sections of AMST 202: The American Experience: Culture and the Arts.
Arizona Western College
Radio Broadcasting Program, Summer 1993, Summer 1994
Peer Educator, BDC 110, Radio Studio Operations 1
For two semesters, I worked individually with students to improve their communications skills, teaching them the technical skills involved in on-air programming as well as the nuances of performance. I also taught the skills necessary to maintain compliance with Federal Communications Commission regulations. At the end of the course, students received their FCC broadcasting license upon passing a written examination.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Dissertation Research, June 2008-April 2013
Discourse and content analysis of the role of historical representations of parenthood and gender anxiety in 20th-century American presidential elections. Primary sources included major party presidential campaign television commercials and debate transcripts from 1954 to 2008 and candidate autobiographies, among other materials.
Capstone Project Research, Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies: September 2006-May 2007
Discourse analysis of gendered representations of the victims and enemies of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Focusing of the primacy of representations of fallen firefighters, my work illustrates the exclusion of women from journalistic and fictional accounts of those lost that day.
Documentary Film Research, April 2006-December 2006
Provided primary and secondary research to independent filmmaker Kimberlee Bassford in preparation for her film Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority. Mink was the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Research focused on Mink’s role in the welfare reform debates of the 1990s.
Masters Research: March 1999-September 1999
Conducted content analysis of prime time television news magazines to determine prevalence of sensational language and visual techniques in program segments. Performed a longitudinal comparison of the program “60 Minutes” by coding scripts from the 1980-1981 season and comparing it to content from the 1998-1999 season. Gathered source material, created coding metric, and analyzed results.
Contributing Researcher/Writer: Communications Research Center, University of Florida
April 1999-October 1999
Collaborated on a marketing research project investigating tobacco communications in Florida. Duties included copywriting and editing, gathering medical data, interpreting field data, and data analysis processing statistics from raw numbers into meaningful results. Presented final report to state legislature.
Undergraduate Thesis Research: October 1996-April 1997
Investigated the beginnings of rock and roll music and its popular acceptance by 1950’s middle-class white American communities. Using primary and secondary sources, research focused on the original works of Richard Penniman (aka Little Richard) and the re-recordings of these works by Pat Boone, including changes to lyrics to remove sexual innuendo and references to African-American culture.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Presenter, 2021, American Studies Association annual conference, Paper Title: Galvanizing Grief: Gun Violence, Maternal Politics and Pathways to Power
Presenter, 2021, National Women’s Studies Association annual conference, Session Title: Trumpian Political Stagecraft and the Global Impacts of an Aggrieved White Patriarchal Nationalism
Presenter, 2021, American Political Science Annual Meeting, Paper Title: Galvanizing Grief: Gun Violence, Maternal Politics and Pathways to Power
Presenter, 2019, National Women’s Studies Association Annual Conference, Roundtable: "Women’s College, Women’s Center, Women Scholars: Reflections on a decade of feminist curriculum"
Presenter, 2018, American Studies Association annual conference, Paper Title: A Passionate Advocate: Ivanka, white supremacy, and women's equality in the Trump administration
Presenter, 2017, American Studies Association Annual Convention, Paper Title: Persuasive Communications for Feminist Practice
Presenter, 2017, American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Paper Title: All in the Family: U.S. Presidential Campaigns and Compensatory Heterosexuality
Presenter, 2016, American Studies Association Annual Convention, Paper Title: Beyond Good Kansas Stock: Obama, Hawaii, and Contested American Homeland in Presidential Campaigns
Presenter, 2016, Popular Culture Association, Paper Title: Impotence and The Iran Hostage Crisis: Subverted Political Will as Sexual Dysfunction in the Presidential Election of 1980
Presenter, 2015, National Women’s Studies Association Annual Conference, Paper Title: Impotence and The Iran Hostage Crisis: Subverted Political Will as Sexual Dysfunction
Presenter, 2015, Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association Annual Conference. Paper Title: Designer Genes: Down syndrome and the commodification of difference in Kelle Hampton’s Bloom and “Enjoying the Small Things”
Presenter, 2014, National Women’s Studies Association Annual Conference, Paper Title: “Designer Genes”: Down syndrome, commodification, and representation in Kelle Hampton’s writing and photography
Presenter, 2013, National Women’s Studies Association Annual Conference, Paper Title: Give Them The Tools: Teaching the Tactics of Advocacy Work
Presenter, 2013, American Studies Association Annual Convention, Paper Title: A Human Debt: U.S. Presidential Campaign Rhetoric and The Narrative of Competition Between Children
Presenter, 2012, Xavier University of Louisiana Conference: Gendered Perspectives: Recent Scholarship on Culture and Social Justice. Paper Title: All in the Family: Presidential Candidates and Representations of Gendered Power within the Nuclear Family
Presenter, 2011, Popular Culture Association in the South and the American Culture Association in the South, Paper Title: All in the Family: Presidential Candidates and Representations of Gendered Power within the Nuclear Family
Presenter, 2009 Sarah Lawrence College Women’s History Graduate Program Annual Women’s History Conference: Gender and Power in the Muslim World. Paper Title: The Suppressive and the Submissive: Representations of Muslim Gender Roles in U.S. Presidential Oratory and Broadcast Television
Presenter, 2008 Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture Association Annual Conference: Paper Title: Dual Identities: the Princess as Subversive Alter Ego in Preschool Girls’ Media and Toys
Presenter, 2008 National Women's Studies Association conference. Paper Title: Competing Masculinities: Gendered Representations of the Victim and the Enemy in the 9/11 Attacks
AWARDS
Brown-Denney Award, Outstanding Graduate Student from the Department of American Studies, University of Hawaii, May 2013
Graduate Tuition Waiver Award, University of Hawaii, 2005-2007
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Studies Association, National Women’s Studies Association, American Political Science Association
