Emily Saidel

Dr. Emily Saidel serves as Assistant Professor of Mass Communication at Menlo College, where she teaches courses at the intersection of media, culture, and political narratives. Her research program critically examines how popular culture shapes public perceptions of governance and identity through feminist frameworks.

Education:

• PhD in Communication and Media, University of Michigan
• MA in Media, Culture, and Communication, New York University
• BA in Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities, The University of Chicago

Research Focus: Dr. Saidel investigates federal government narratives in American television fiction, representation dynamics in televisual paratexts, and video game character creation systems. Her work employs feminist media theory to analyze gendered power structures in contemporary entertainment media, with particular attention to marginalized identities in fantasy and political storytelling.

Publication Trends: Her scholarly output demonstrates consistent thematic evolution from Shakespearean adaptations (2012) to contemporary feminist television analysis (2020), culminating in interdisciplinary game studies research (2024). This trajectory reveals expanding methodological scope from textual analysis to longitudinal quantitative approaches while maintaining core focus on representation politics across media platforms.

Awards and Honors: No scientific awards were documented in the provided materials.

Professional Development: Prior to her academic career, Dr. Saidel gained practical experience in performing arts administration and higher education arts programming. She has held lecturer appointments at both the University of Michigan and Boston University, contributing to media studies curricula before joining Menlo College's permanent faculty.