Melissa Gotlieb

Biography

I was born on the east coast and have been slowly moving west. I grew up in Massachusetts, spent my high school days in Florida, went to college and graduate school in Wisconsin, and now live in Lubbock with my husband and our energetic son and clumsy cat. When I'm not working (or chasing my toddler around), I enjoy designing spaces, planning events, and basically anything that allows me to be creative and analytical. 

Research

My research lies at the intersection of media, politics, and consumer behavior. In particular, I am interested in emergent citizenship practices (e.g., political and ethical forms of consumption, digital forms of political expression), the motivations that underlie these, and how they shape young citizens' broader political participation repertoires. 

Selected Publications

• Gotlieb, M. R., & Cheema, S. E. (2017). From consumer to producer: Motivations, Internet use, and political consumerism. Information, Communication & Society, 20, 570-586. 
• Gotlieb, M. R., & Thorson, K. (2017). Connected political consumers: Transforming personalized politics into broader repertoires of action. Journal of Youth Studies, 8, 1044-1061. 
• Gotlieb, M. R. (2015). Civic, cooperative, or contrived? A functional approach to political consumerism motivations. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 39, 552-563. 

Teaching Focus

Advertising theory, Advertising ethics, International advertising, Consumer behavior, Data analysis

Leadership & Awards

• Outstanding faculty member, Office of Student Disability Services, 2014
• Head, Communication Theory and Methodology division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, August 2017-July 2018