Chelsea Butkowski

Dr. Chelsea Butkowski serves as Assistant Professor of Data, Media & Identity in American University's School of Communication, investigating how digital media technologies reshape identity during societal crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. elections. Their interdisciplinary approach bridges communication theory with historical perspectives from art history and material culture.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Communication, Cornell University
• M.A. in Communication, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
• B.A. in Communication & Art History, SUNY Geneseo

Research synthesizes feminist and queer media studies with platform algorithm analysis, visual culture, and political communication to examine digital identity formation. Methodologically grounded in content analysis and in-depth interviewing, their work reveals how "unsettled times" destabilize self-perception through social media practices, including selfie culture and election discourse.

Recent publications analyze pandemic-era self-representation, platform futures discourse, and non-voting narratives on Twitter, demonstrating consistent focus on identity politics within digital public spheres. These appear in premier journals including New Media & Society and Social Media + Society.

Scientific Recognition:

• Research supported by major funding organizations
• Awards at national and international conferences

Butkowski actively mentors PhD students while collaborating with the UNC Center on Information Technology and Public Life (CITAP) and UPenn Center on Digital Culture & Society (CDCS). Current grant-funded work examines social media's evolving role in identity construction during global crises, complemented by teaching courses in digital media culture and research methodology.