Dr. Swapnil Rai
Dr. Swapnil Rai is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Film, Television, and Media at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. As an interdisciplinary scholar, she works at the intersection of media studies, critical cultural communication, women’s and gender studies, and industry studies. Focusing on the global south, she investigates how transnational networked cultures intersect with the media industries and with questions of policy, geopolitics, and audiences. Her book Networked Bollywood: How Star Power Globalized Hindi Cinema, is now out with the Cambridge University Press.
Amber Hardiman
Amber Hardiman is a PhD candidate in the Department of Film, Television, and Media and SSHRC Doctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan. Her research broadly explores high-profile rape trials in the 21st century, and their (re)mediation as consumable forms of documentary entertainment on digital streaming platforms.
Kristen Leer
Kristen Leer is a PHD candidate for Communications and media at the University of Michigan. A McNair scholar, she grounds her research interests in investigating the intersectional relationship between trauma, media, and culture. She aims to prioritize marginalized populations whose narratives, experiences, and identities need to be heard.
Sachin Sukumar
Sachin Sukumar is an undergraduate student studying Public Policy with a Business Administration minor at the University of Michigan. He is interested in exploring the intersectionality between streaming media and populism in the Global South.
Edwin Osorio
Edwin Osorio is a second year undergraduate at the University of Michigan majoring in classical music performance and a prospective communications and media major. As a first generation, Hispanic male, he seeks a career in journalism and public service, grounding his work in his lived experiences and nuanced perspectives.