María Elena Gutiérrez Renteria
María Elena Gutiérrez Renteria was a visiting professor in the Thomas Jay Harris Institute for Hispanic and International Communication for the 2014-2015 academic year. She taught Electronic Media Operations in the Department of Journalism and Electronic Media. Gutiérrez Renteria earned a doctorate in Public Communication from the Universidad de Navarra, Spain, and is a professor in the School of Business and Economics at the Universidad Panamericana in Guadalajara, Mexico. She is author and coauthor of 16 refereed research publications related to Mexican media and telecommunications industries and Hispanic media markets. Her research interests include media economics and media management in Hispanic markets, digital convergence and convergence industries, business media models, and Hispanic media audiences.
Lisa Low
Lisa Low began teaching as an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Public Relations at the Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication in spring 2015. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration/Marketing from Park University in 1994, and a Master of Business Administration in Business, Management and Marketing from Baker University in 2000. Low currently teaches Professional Communication, Online and Digital Public Relations, and Public Relations Content Development. She is the editor of the Alumni Advantage newsletter and the faculty adviser for CoMC’s Outpost Social Media Lab. Low said she fell in love with the science of marketing, and she is inspired by the way marketing, advertising and public relations have all converged. She explained that she has been able to apply her knowledge of marketing to both public relations and social media during her time at Texas Tech. From developing content to learning about how public relations works in the digital world, Low said she is passionate about teaching and enjoys watching students grasp the concepts she presents in the classroom. In the future, she said, she hopes to find new and innovative ways to integrate the study of social media into her classes. She said she hopes to make CoMC students highly sought-after for their knowledge of digital and emerging media.
Bryan McLaughlin
Bryan McLaughlin is an assistant professor in the Department of Advertising in the College of Media & Communication. He earned his doctorate in Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He currently teaches Communication Research Methods and Advertising Account Planning. His research examines the interplay of social identity with strategic and interpersonal communication in political and health contexts. He also explores the strategic use of social identity cues (e.g. religious, racial, partisan) in political speeches and advertisements, and the effect these cues have on political processes, such as voting behavior and political polarization.
Marilda Oviedo
Marilda Oviedo is an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Electronic Media. She currently teaches Introduction to Electronic Media and Visual Communications. She earned undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Electronic Media and Communications from Texas Tech University in 2005. She then went on to earn a master’s degree in Mass Communications from Texas Tech in 2007. She completed her doctorate in Mass Communications at the University of Iowa in 2012. Before this fall, she served as the multicultural faculty fellow at the University of Rhode Island. Her current research focuses on media representation of race, gender and ethnic identity.
John Velez
John Velez is an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Electronic Media. He currently teaches Understanding Video Games and Electronic Media and Society. Velez earned his doctorate in Mass Communication Uses and Effects in the School of Communication at The Ohio State University. His primary research examines how cooperative social interactions can reduce the negative effects of violent video games on players’ subsequent cooperative and aggressive behaviors. He is also the faculty adviser for Heads Up Display, an organization within the college that provides reviews and discussion of popular video games.