Emily Ryalls

Dr. Emily Ryalls is an Assistant Professor in the Interdisciplinary Studies in the Liberal Arts Department (ISLA) at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), where she has taught since 2017. She specializes in communication, women’s and gender studies, and media criticism.

Education

• Ph.D. Communication Studies, University of South Florida
• M.A. Communication Studies, University of Alabama
• B.A. Speech Communication, James Madison University

Research Interests

Her scholarship interrogates representations of adolescence in popular culture—spanning music, film, television, social media, and journalism—with a feminist lens on race, class, gender, and sexuality. A central concern is how media normalize punitive attitudes toward teens. Her monograph The Culture of Mean: Representing Victims and Bullies in Popular Culture (Peter Lang, 2018) is the first sustained feminist study of contemporary bullying discourse.

Publication Trends

Across 26 peer-reviewed works (2011-2025), Ryalls has traced evolving depictions of teen girlhood, toxic masculinity, climate activism, and sexual health on platforms such as Netflix and Bravo. Recurring themes include postfeminist sensibilities, viral celebrity, and intersectional feminist critique.

Teaching & Service

She offers courses in public speaking, media criticism, gender and communication, and cultural studies, infusing feminist pedagogy and digital activism into the curriculum.

Contact

• Email: eryalls@calpoly.edu
• Phone: 805-756-2909
• Office: Faculty Offices North (47) 23L