Lynn Comella

Lynn Comella, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She also serves as the undergraduate advisor for the Gender and Sexuality Studies program and was honored with the 2015 Nevada Regents’ Rising Researcher Award for outstanding early-career accomplishments.

Education

• Ph.D. in Communication, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• M.A. in Gender Studies and Feminist Theory, New School for Social Research
• B.A. in Psychology (Highest Distinction), minors in Anthropology and Women’s Studies, The Pennsylvania State University

Research Interests

Dr. Comella’s work lies at the intersection of gender, sexuality, and marketplace culture. Drawing on interdisciplinary training in cultural studies and feminist theory, she investigates how consumer capitalism shapes—and is shaped by—sexual politics, gendered identities, and erotic commerce. Her scholarship spans analyses of women’s erotica markets, histories of prostitution and sex work in Las Vegas, and critiques of sex education policy, all framed through feminist media studies and sociological lenses.

Publications & Media Work

Her research appears in leading journals such as International Journal of Communication and Feminist Media Studies, as well as influential edited volumes including The Feminist Porn Book, Sex for Sale, and New Sociologies of Sex Work. Beyond peer-reviewed venues, she has authored over 45 articles for local and national media on topics ranging from Nevada’s sex-education policies to the evolution of women’s erotica. She co-edited New Views on Pornography: Sexuality, Politics, and the Law (Praeger) and contributed to Best Sex Writing 2015 (Cleis Press).

Awards & Recognition

• Nevada Regents’ Rising Researcher Award (2015)

Advising & Service

As undergraduate advisor for Gender and Sexuality Studies at UNLV, Dr. Comella mentors students navigating interdisciplinary coursework and career paths in gender studies, media, public policy, and social justice.