Jülide Etem

Dr. Jülide Etem is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia, where she directs the Film Studies Concentration and chairs the Film Studies Curriculum Committee. Her research examines how film operates within institutional infrastructures to shape public knowledge, manage populations, and mediate power.

Education:

• Ph.D., Media School, Indiana University, Bloomington
• M.A. and B.A., University of Virginia

Dr. Etem's research spans media history, documentary film, and race & ethnicity, with a focus on film as infrastructure of mediation. Her forthcoming book Film Diplomacy: A Media History of Turkey–US Relations (Columbia University Press, 2026) analyzes educational film as geopolitical strategy from 1930-1986. Current projects include:

• Gun Violence and Documentary Film: Explores nonfiction media as infrastructure of care in U.S. gun violence crisis, supported by grants from Gun Violence Solutions Project and Karsh Institute for Democracy.
• Physics Film Experiments during the Cold War: Investigates audiovisual media in transnational scientific education.
• Family Planning Narratives on Film: Examines reproductive health films in Cold War population control campaigns.

Her work reveals film's role in public health, education, and governance.

Dr. Etem has empowered over 2000 students through teaching at Emerson College, Indiana University, and UVA. She has secured grant funding from the Gun Violence Solutions Project, Karsh Institute for Democracy, Office of Citizen Scholar Development, and Vice Provost for the Arts for her research on gun violence media.