Samira Rajabi

Samira Rajabi serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, specializing in digital media's intersection with trauma, identity, and social justice. Her work bridges academic research, public scholarship, and community advocacy through leadership roles in non-profit organizations.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Media Research and Practice, University of Colorado Boulder
• Master's in International and Intercultural Communication, University of Denver (Josef Korbel School of International Studies and School of Journalism and Mass Communications)
• Degree in Business Management and Entrepreneurship with French minor, University of Colorado Boulder

Rajabi's research critically examines how digital platforms mediate experiences of trauma and suffering through lenses of race, gender, and ability. She investigates technology's role in social movements and meaning-making processes, particularly focusing on marginalized communities' use of media for resistance and healing. Her work emphasizes the transformative potential of digital tools in navigating personal and collective grief.

Her 2021 monograph establishes foundational research on tactical media practices in trauma processing, highlighting consistent themes across her scholarship: the politics of digital suffering, identity construction in online spaces, and technology's capacity for community building amid adversity. This work significantly contributes to evolving discourses in trauma-informed media studies.

Rajabi actively mentors through community leadership as board member of The Acoustic Neuroma Association, Our Wave, and Partners for Conservation. Her prior affiliations include Senior Fellow at CU's Center for Media, Religion and Culture (2012-2016) and Postdoctoral Fellow at UPenn's Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication (2017-2019).

She maintains active research-practice connections through public speaking engagements and social media outreach, translating academic insights into accessible frameworks for trauma navigation. Her community-centered approach manifests in collaborations with advocacy organizations focused on neuroma awareness, sexual assault survivor support, and conservation initiatives.