Michael Palm

Michael Palm is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) and Affiliated Faculty in the American Studies Program. His research focuses on the intersections of technology, culture, and political economy, particularly in the context of self-service technologies, digital media, and vinyl record revival. He earned his PhD in American Studies from New York University (NYU) in 2010.

His teaching emphasizes the history of everyday technology and the political economy of popular culture. Recent graduate seminars include topics like 'Political Economies of Digital Media.' He authored Technologies of Consumer Labor: A History of Self-Service (Routledge, 2017), analyzing how self-service technologies like the telephone keypad shaped consumer attitudes toward digital interaction.

Palm’s current book project examines the ecological and cultural implications of the vinyl records revival. He actively engages in academic advocacy as President of the UNC-Chapel Hill chapter of the American Association of University Professors and previously produced the Thursday Night Feature on WXYC radio.

His awards include the 2024 J. Carlyle Sitterson Award for Teaching First-Year Students and the 2022 Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Support. He has also received grants and fellowships, including the Ken and Mary Lowe Faculty Excellence Grant (2017).