معرفی
Melissa A. Click serves as Professor and Department Chair of Communication Studies at Gonzaga University, where she shapes academic programs while advancing critical research on marginalized cultural consumption. Her leadership spans curriculum development and departmental administration within the university's communication discipline.
Her academic credentials include:
- Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Massachusetts
- M.A. in Communication from the University of Massachusetts
- B.B.A. in Marketing from James Madison University
Dr. Click's research pioneers the study of disdained audiences, focusing on anti-fandom, negative emotions in fan communities, and identity negotiations in popular culture. Using audience studies frameworks intersecting with gender, race, and sexuality theories, she examines how fans engage with controversial texts—from NFL protests to Twilight phenomena—revealing complex power dynamics in media reception. Her work consistently challenges mainstream cultural hierarchies through rigorous analysis of social media's impact on celebrity-fan relationships and evolving fan identities.
Her publication trajectory demonstrates deepening engagement with intersectional media analysis, transitioning from early Twilight scholarship to contemporary studies of race in sports broadcasting and Black women's responses to television representations. This evolution reflects broader academic shifts toward critical race theory within fandom studies, with her 2019 edited volume Dislike, Hate, and Anti-fandom in the Digital Age establishing foundational frameworks for understanding hostile audience practices.
As Department Chair and educator, Dr. Click mentors students across the Communication Studies curriculum while teaching courses ranging from foundational Communication and Speech (COMM 100) to advanced seminars on Digital Cultures (COMM 370) and Senior Capstone projects (COMM 484). Her editorial stewardship of Communication, Culture & Critique (2021-2024) further demonstrates scholarly leadership, though specific grant funding details remain unpublicized in available sources.
