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‘A dream come true’: New faculty bring experience, enthusiasm to CMCI

Experts in public relations, journalism, tech ethics and more add depth for growing college

‘A dream come true’: New faculty bring experience, enthusiasm to CMCI

Headshot of Ever in a blue suit and orange tie. Figueroa visited Boulder in 2016 as he considered getting his PhD in journalism, which had been relaunched as part of the then-new CMCI. And while he opted to get his degree at the University of Texas–Austin, to be closer to his family, CU left an impression.

“I remember telling Patrick Ferrucci”—now chair of the journalism department—“that I wasn’t going to come as a PhD student, but to please keep me in mind, because I would be thrilled to be his colleague on the faculty,” Figueroa said. “It feels like a dream come true, actually. I’m super excited and grateful for the chance to be here.”

Figueroa, who researches news media, race and gender within society and culture, is one of five new tenure-track faculty joining CMCI this fall. The new professors bring a wealth of academic and industry experience that has made them top-flight researchers as well as teachers.

Jordan Morehouse, who called CMCI’s reputation for strong faculty research and collaboration in advertising, public relations and communication a major selling point in coming, said she often draws on her experience owning a business in her classes.

Headshot of Jordan in a dark suit against a blue backdrop. “Owning my own small business has assisted me in helping students achieve their professional goals,” she said. “Nowadays, so many students are working for startup companies, which is such a unique public relations job. They’re wearing all these different hats and managing various roles, expectations, and people, and that's really similar to owning your own small business.”

Founding Dean Lori Bergen said the new hires continue to diversify CMCI’s strengths in communication, media and information, creating exciting cross-disciplinary opportunities to further enrich the college’s strong reputation.

“Our new professors live our values of creativity, critical thinking and innovation—both in the classroom and as experts,” Bergen said. “I’m excited to see what they’ll accomplish and look forward to celebrating their successes here in Boulder.”

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The full lineup of new professors:

Bridget Barrett, assistant professor. Barrett is fresh off a PhD in media and communication from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She joins the department of advertising, public relations and media design. Barrett researches new media, advertising technology and democracy, a path she landed on following her career in digital advertising.
Michael Burns, teaching assistant professor. Burns created Burns Learning LLC, a boutique business communication consultancy, and has taught at Texas State and Lasell universities, among others. He also works as a freelance production manager for NBC News’ Olympics coverage. He joins the communication department at CMCI, where he will lead TEDxCU.
Ever Figueroa, assistant professor. Figueroa immigrated to Texas from El Salvador with his parents as a child. He completed all three of his degrees from UT-Austin and is an expert in sports media and media representations of race and gender. He joins the journalism department at CMCI from the University of Kansas.
Deepti Khedekar (PhD’23), teaching assistant professor. Khedekar earned her PhD in communication from CU Boulder in the spring, and joins the college’s department of advertising, public relations and media design. She has worked in marketing research, managing and consulting, among other roles.
Jordan Morehouse, assistant professor. Morehouse joins CMCI’s department of advertising, public relations and media design from Clemson University and a career in public relations. She studies public relations with a special focus on communications at nonprofits and religious organizations. She earned her PhD from UNC Chapel Hill in 2020.
Evan Peck, associate professor. Peck is an expert in artificial intelligence, ethics and technology, data visualization, and user privacy whose work draws on the fields of human-computer interaction and information visualization. He comes to the information science department after nine years on the faculty at Bucknell University. Peck completed a PhD from Tufts University in 2014.
Mia Wang, assistant professor. Wang earned her doctoral degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this spring. She brings an interest in immersive media technology and its ability to influence people to the college’s department of advertising, public relations and media design. She also is curious about artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction.

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‘A dream come true’: New faculty bring experience, enthusiasm to CMCI

Experts in public relations, journalism, tech ethics and more add depth for growing college

‘A dream come true’: New faculty bring experience, enthusiasm to CMCI

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