LSU’s Manship School Welcomes Nation’s First and Only Chair in Race, Media and Cultural Literacy

June 19, 2019

Baton Rouge, LA – Tina M. Harris, Ph.D., will join LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication in the fall as the Douglas L. Manship Sr.-Dori J. Maynard Chair in Race, Media & Cultural Literacy—the first position of its type in the nation. Harris will do research and teaching on advancing issues of diversity, access and social justice in media and society, and will build upon her extensive research base.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Harris to our team. Her commitment to translating research from theory into practice is work that facilitates critical engagement with the issue of race.  She is a distinguished scholar whose work here at the Manship School to advance conversations on race, media and cultural literacy will benefit our students and the broader community as we work to move forward the conversation on diversity and social justice in media, politics and in our communities,” Martin Johnson, dean of the Manship School, said.

Harris currently studies interracial communication and is a professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia, which she joined in 1998. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in 1995 and her master’s degree from the University of Georgia in 1992.

Harris is the co-author of the textbook Interracial Communication: Theory Into Practice. Her other research interests include communication and pedagogy, diversity and media representations, and race and ethnic disparities and religious frameworks in health communication. She has published many articles and book chapters on race and communication, has served as reviewer for many top tier communication journals, and has fulfilled many service roles within the discipline, including the National Communication Association, the Southern States Communication Association and other communication organizations.

Harris is the recipient of more than 30 recognitions and awards for her outstanding achievements, including The University of Georgia’s 2017 Engaged Scholar Award by the Office of Public Service and Outreach and the Distinguished Josiah T. Meigs Teaching Professor award– the highest teaching honor. She has also been recognized by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award for her research on pedagogy and race.

“I spent time in Spain as a child when my father was stationed there as part of his career in the Navy, and I consider that the bedrock of who I am and my earliest influence that ignited a passion within me for ethnic and cultural diversity and international experiential education, so coming to the Manship School to serve as the Manship-Maynard Chair in Race, Media and Cultural Literacy is a full-circle moment for me,” said Harris. “Further, one of the brightest spots in my academic career is mentoring others and helping them realize their dreams. I look forward to working closely with students to help advance their understanding of diversity, access and social justice and to help prepare them for their future careers.”

Harris is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and in her free time enjoys volunteering in her community, smooth jazz, cooking, reading and international travel.

For more information, contact [email protected]. 

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LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication ranks among the strongest collegiate communication programs in the country, with its robust emphasis on media and public affairs. It offers undergraduate degrees in public relations, journalism, political communication, digital advertising and pre-law, along with four graduate degree programs: master of mass communication, Ph.D. in media and public affairs, certificate of strategic communication, and dual MMC/law degree. Its public relations students were recently ranked the #1 team in the nation, and its digital advertising and student media teams frequently earn national recognition.