Meredith L. Pruden
Hi there, and thanks for stopping by!
I'm an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication and Media at Kennesaw State University, as well a Fellow with The Institute for Research on Male Supremacism and an Affiliate with the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP), which is housed in the School of Information and Library Science at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining Kennesaw State, I spent a year working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at CITAP after earning my PhD in Communication (Media & Society) and a certificate in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies both from Georgia State University, where I was also a Presidential Fellow with the university's Transcultural Conflict and Violence Initiative.
My interdisciplinary, methodologically agnostic research is rooted in feminist media studies and uses a combination of quantitative computational and qualitative techniques (e.g., critical computational studies) to explore and critique male and white supremacy, far-right politics and extremisms, including the mis/disinformation and conspiracy thinking circulated by and through these groups across a variety of platforms and channels. Please visit the Research page for an overview of my research agenda and the Publications and Conference pages to see where I've published and/or presented my work.
I have a professional background as a journalist and integrated marketing consultant and have worked as a staff editor and freelance writer for a number of magazines, as well as on creative teams for corporations ranging from start-up stage to best-in-class. While I am passionate about research and writing, I also really love being in the classroom and mentoring up-and-coming communication and media students. You can learn more about my teaching philosophy and classes I've taught on the Teaching page.
On a personal note, I'm mom to several four-legged fur babies and one two-legged kiddo. When I'm not busy conducting research and teaching, I enjoy water sports, yoga, card games and travel. If you'd like to learn more, I hope you'll drop me a line.