Somava Pande

Somava Pande serves as a Scholarly Assistant Professor at Washington State University's Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, specializing in intercultural communication and critical media discourse analysis with focus on marginalized communities and diaspora identity politics.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D., Washington State University, December 2016
• M.A., Washington State University, July 2012
• PGDM Mass Communication and Journalism, Jadavpur University, February 2003
• B.Sc., Major Economics- Honors, Calcutta University, August 2000

Dr. Pande's research examines how ethnic and mainstream media construct narratives around race, immigration, and social justice through critical frameworks. Her work investigates digital media's role in public sphere formation and the ethical complexities of reporting on gender-based violence and marginalized populations, particularly within Indian and diasporic contexts.

Publication trends reveal consistent exploration of media representation across crises (pandemic, human trafficking), identity negotiation (whiteness alignment, hijab controversies), and ethical dilemmas in journalism. Her scholarship bridges communication theory, sociology, and public health through analysis of farmworker coverage, immigration debates, and citizen journalism practices.

She teaches core communication courses including Intercultural Communication and Globalization (COM 421), Stereotypes in Communication (COM 471), and Media and Society (COM 101), alongside specialized offerings in social change organizing and online global communication contexts. Her research appears in journals such as Journal of International and Intercultural Communication and Latino Studies.