Biography

Leah Dajches (Ph.D., University of Arizona, 2022) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at New Mexico State University. Her research examines the effects of popular culture and media on the health and wellbeing of young people, fans, and marginalized communities. Her work typically centers around issues related to mental and sexual health, identity processing/acceptance, civic/political engagement, and the general social welfare of these groups. Leah’s work is multidisciplinary and multimethodological in nature and emphasizes the importance of public scholarship and community engagement. Her research has been published in top-tier journals such as Health Communication, Journal of Adolescent Research, Journal of Children and Media, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, and Psychology of Popular Media, among others. Leah teaches courses such as Communication Technologies, Introduction to Communication Theories, Media Theory and Effects, and Persuasion Theory and Practice.