Alex Olshansky

Biography

Alex Olshansky, M.A., is a Doctoral Candidate in the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University (expected completion date: May 2021). He worked 14 years in the banking industry and left his job as an AVP of Operations for a bank to pursue his passion of understanding how science is communicated and interpreted among different stakeholders. He received his bachelor's degree in finance at the University of Texas at Dallas and his master's in mass communication from Texas Tech University.

Research

His research focuses on the combination of three separate, but related interests. First, his primary line of research focuses on how peoples' cultural values, worldviews, and prior attitudes toward science influence their perceptions of science information. Second, he examines how people cognitively process science misinformation and conspiracy theories, and third, factors influencing their diffusion through social networks. Alex is currently working on completing his dissertation, which focuses on the role of awe in the cognitive processing of conspiracy theories online. Alex's work has demonstrated that science illiteracy and conspiracy mentality leave people at risk of believing misinformation they see on YouTube. Alex's work has been published in Politics and the Life Sciences, Media Psychology, Media and Communication, and Media and Religion. His research has also received media attention (e.g., Axios, Popular Science).

Selected Publications

• Landrum, A. R., Olshansky, A., & Richards, O. (2021). Differential susceptibility to misleading flat earth arguments on YouTube. Media Psychology, 24:1, 136-165, doi: 10.1080/15213269.2019.1669461
• Olshansky, A., Peaslee, R., & Landrum, A. R. (2020). Flat Smacked! Converting to Flat Eartherism. Journal of Media and Religion. doi: 10.1080/15348423.2020.1774257
• Landrum, A. R. & Olshansky, A. (2020). Third-person Perceptions and Calls for Censorship of Flat Earth Videos on YouTube. Media & Communication, 8(2), XX-XX. doi: 10.17645/mac.v8i2.2853.
• Landrum, A. R., & Olshansky, A. (2019). The Role of Conspiracy Mentality in Denial of Science and Susceptibility to Viral Deception about Science. Politics and the Life Sciences, 38(2), 193-209. doi: 10.1017/pls.2019.9

Teaching Focus

 

Alex has taught undergraduate courses related to Media Theory, Research Methods, Global Communication, and Digital and Social Media. In his view, education is not about learning facts, but learning how to work with facts and using the information to navigate the unknown. In other words, a good education provides tools and insights into how to think critically and not simply how to memorize facts. Education is about helping individuals learn how to ask questions, solve problems, innovate, and persist. We do not learn how to do this by passively consuming lectures. He encourages dialogue, open expression of views, and most importantly asking questions. Alex sees his role as that of a guide rather than a lecturer, showing students how to navigate the intellectual landscape that will better prepare them for their futures than telling them what to think or do. His life experiences as a son of immigrants have taught him the importance of promoting acceptance of others, the importance of equity and inclusion, and understanding diversity.

• MCOM 1301 Intro to Digital and Social Media Fall
• MCOM 2350 Communicating in a Global Society
• MCOM 3380 Research Methods in Media and Communication
• MCOM 3300 Theories of Media and Communication

Awards

 

• 2020 - 2021 J.T. and Margaret Talkington Graduate Fellowship, Texas Tech University ($4,000)
• 2020 - 2021 Hellen DeVitt Jones Graduate Fellowship, College of Media & Communication, Texas Tech University ($1,000)
  
• 2020 - 2021 Thomas J. Harris Fellowship, College of Media & Communication, Texas Tech University ($750)
• 2019 (April) Regent Professors' Graduate Student Research Small Grant ($500)
• 2019 - 2020 J.T. and Margaret Talkington Graduate Fellowship, College of Media & Communication, Texas Tech University ($4,000)
• 2019 - 2020 Hellen DeVitt Jones Graduate Fellowship, College of Media & Communication, Texas Tech University ($1,000) 
• 2018 – 2019 Hellen DeVitt Jones Graduate Fellowship, College of Media & Communication, Texas Tech University ($1,000) 2018 - 2019 J.T. and Margaret Talkington Graduate Fellowship, College of Media & Communication, Texas Tech University ($4,000)
• 2017 - 2018 J.T. and Margaret Talkington Graduate Fellowship, College of Media & Communication, Texas Tech University ($2,000)