Written Publications
#WeAreTogether: University Branding in the time of COVID and Black Lives Matter
“That is, in ‘uncertain times,’ universities must contend with crises—whether these be internal to a specific school or a national or global crisis—and university administrators are charged with management of the brand and the university’s reputation. What this kind of management entails varies. In the following pages, we analyze some of the ways Western universities attempt to maintain their brand and reputation during times of global crises. Specifically, the 2020 arrival of both the global COVID-19 pandemic and the global reckoning on racial justice posed significant challenges to universities across the world. Both the pandemic and the global visibility of #BlackLivesMatter forced into bold relief the deficit of care networks in all institutions, including the university. Not only did universities have to immediately “pivot” (a word that practically became part of the brand in itself) to online platforms because of national and global lockdowns, but universities also had to generate a response to the heightened visibility of #BlackLivesMatter movements as well as to their own institutionalized racism and racist histories. Of course, the adjustments universities made during this time were not only technological but emotional, psychological, and social—these were global crises that among other things generated massive anxiety and rage. That is, they had to maintain their brands affectively.”
“The 2020 protests for Black lives caught the eye of several of Philadelphia’s public arts programs, who commissioned Black artists to paint public murals that could bear witness to what had transpired. I became interested in researching and analyzing murals related to the Black Lives Matter movement because I was curious about how Black publics were choosing to represent these events, and how they might differ from more mainstream (white) narratives. As a recent transplant to the city, I saw this venture as an opportunity to get to know Philadelphia in a deeper and more nuanced way, but more than anything I wanted to understand how this visual mode of communication allows Black artists to tell their stories differently from the ones circulating in the media.”
Read and interact with the full piece here!
Truss, A., Riina-Ferrie, J., Rajan, S., Vasudevan, L. (2020)
“Considering a wide variety of perspectives is crucial to understanding social issues and their solutions. By intentionally centering the voices of a diverse range of experts, our team at (Re)Search for Solutions aims to disrupt singular and oftentimes narrow discourses of complex phenomena. The first season of our podcast focuses on approaches to preventing the persistent issue of gun violence in America.”
“Even further, I’ve noticed some discussion of who it benefits to ignore the effects of climate change. Calling out “about 100 companies and the billionaire class they create” as the primary cause/beneficiaries of the corporate practices causing climate change, and pointing out the fact that the oil, gas, and coal industries spend roughly $430,000 per day on lobbying, the analysis of the relationship between power and the perpetuation of this false narrative is one of the most fundamental critical practices someone can engage in. By following the money, these TikTokers make clear the role financial gains play in the destruction of the Earth.”
The use of games as an innovative approach to media literacy education: Opportunities and challenges
Chang, Y.K., Literat, I., Price, C., Eisman, J.I., Chapman, A., Gardner, J., & Truss, A. (2020). The use of games as an innovative approach to media literacy education: Opportunities and challenges. The Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review.