Polly E. Bugros McLean

Polly E. Bugros McLean is an Associate Professor in Media Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, with a focus on intersectionality, cultural theory, and globalization in Southern Africa. She has held leadership roles such as Chair of Women and Gender Studies and Faculty Associate to the Chancellor.

• Education: BA from CUNY College of Staten Island, MS from Columbia University, and PhD from the University of Texas at Austin.

Her research explores media's role in shaping racialized, gendered, and class-based identities, with fieldwork in sub-Saharan Africa. She has contributed to journals like the International Journal of Communication and Popular Music and Society.

Scientific Awards

• 2021 Marinus G. Smith Award
• 2014 Best Should Teach Gold Award
• 2009 Edward R. Murrow Award
• 2007 Robert L. Stearns Award
• Equity and Excellence Faculty Awards (2004, 1986)
• 1999 Traditional Fulbright Scholarship

McLean has also served as a visiting professor at the University of Zambia, Howard University, and as a Fulbright Scholar in Namibia, where she established the first BA in Media Studies. She led international projects with UNESCO and USAID, including HIV/AIDS radio campaigns in Swaziland and educational media workshops in Lesotho.