Bio

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I am a tenure-track assistant professor at the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. 

In August 2024, I received my Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication. My additional academic credentials include a B.A. degree in English from Morehouse College, an M.A. in Media Studies from The New School, and an M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. 

I am passionate about studying community access television, local media ecosystem dynamics, participatory media-making practices and experiences, and media activism history. My multimodal dissertation project was an extensive study of African American community participation at PhillyCAM--Philadelphia's community access media center. Born out of a nearly thirty year struggle to develop a public access television station in Philadelphia, PhillyCAM has become a valuable resource that African Americans, Latinx, and many other communities use to build social capital, engage in collective learning experiences, and produce noncommercial programs aimed to make productive contributions to society.

Before academia, I spent fifteen years directing community engagement programs at public access media centers at People TV in Atlanta, GA, and PhillyCAM in Philadelphia, PA. I have served on boards for community media organizations such as the Alliance for Community Media, Radio Free Georgia, and the Independence Public Media Foundation, serving the Greater Philadelphia region. I have experience writing grants for public educational programs, developing community outreach initiatives, facilitating participatory community documentary film projects, and curating community media events. 

Along with my extensive professional and academic experience, I have am a passionate music head and media maker. I love playing guitar, collecting and spinning vinyl records, and producing original video projects that amplify untold stories about local cultural identity and history. 

Becoming a faculty member at the University of Florida has given me an opportunity to become a proud native son (originally from West Palm Beach) who has returned home to serve as a public educator, community-engaged and responsive researcher, and academic intellectual partner.