Deborah Barcella

Deborah Barcella is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Media and Journalism (IMeG) and coordinates the Bachelor in Communication at the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society at the University of Italian Switzerland (USI). She earned her PhD in Communication Sciences in 2025, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

• Education:
  • PhD in Communication Sciences (2025)
  • Master of Science in Communication and Economics (2019), major in Marketing
  • Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences (2017), specialization in Corporate Communication

Her research lies at the intersection of Web History, Media History, and Marketing, focusing on the early development and public adoption of the World Wide Web. She contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives through the SNSF-funded Agorà project, which collaborates with the SUPSI Institute of Design and RSI (Swiss public broadcaster) to disseminate the Web’s history via digital content and participatory activities.

Deborah has been recognized with the ABB Prize for achieving the best GPA during her studies. She actively engages in academic leadership as the Early-Career Scholar Representative for the International Communication Association (ICA) and co-organized international events such as the ECREA Communication History Workshop 2025 at CERN.

• Teaching:
  • Communication Classics
  • Former Teaching Assistant: Social Media Management, Media History, Digital Cultures

She was a visiting scholar at the Schulich School of Business (York University, Canada) under Prof. Markus Giesler and continues to bridge academic research with societal impact through collaborative projects.