Resume

• 2014

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

  Communication

  University of California

  Santa Barbara

• 2012

  Master of Science - MS

  Communication

  Portland State University

• 2010

  This study seeks to improve election forecasting by supplementing polling data with online information-seeking behavior trends as an indicator of public opinion. Aggregate trends of demonstrations of interest or engagement have been shown to accurately predict behavior trends and reflect public opinion. Further

  because traditional poll-based predictions are inherently undermined by self-reporting biases and the intention-behavior disconnect

  we can expect that information-seeking trends on widely used social media—as an autonomous and unobtrusive indicator of relative levels of public opinion—can help correct for some of this error and explain unique

  additional variance in election results. We advance the literature by using data from Wikipedia pageviews along with polling data in a synthesized model based on the results of the 2008

  and 2012 US Senate general elections. Results show that Wikipedia pageviews data significantly add to the ability of poll- and fundamentals-based projections to predict election results up to 28 weeks prior to Election Day

  and benefit predictions most at those early points

  when poll-based predictions are weakest.

  Using Wikipedia to Predict Election Outcomes: Online Behavior as a Predictor of Voting

  Group vitality is a widely invoked construct in the study of minority language maintenance and interethnic relations. Per the original framework introduced 40 years ago

  the more vitality an ethnolinguistic group perceives itself to have

  the more likely that it will thrive as a collective entity in an intergroup context. Consequently

  research adopting this paradigm—herein termed vitality theory—has studied ways in which objective and subjective group vitality has manifested itself in the endurance of ethnolinguistic groups. The notion of objective vitality includes the factors of demographics

  institutional support

  and status that characterize the strength of a group in comparison to others present in an intergroup setting. Contrastively

  subjective vitality was introduced to highlight how groups may cognitively and affectively perceive these same factors.\n\nA large body of empirical research has been conducted within the vitality theory framework that has resulted in several stages of development. Evidence has shown that while the components of objective vitality (demographics

  institutional support

  status) do not typically manifest themselves as distinct components in the structure of subjective vitality

  they do form a single component reflecting the perceived strength of the group. In addition

  several other social psychological factors

  such as perception of the legitimacy of intergroup relations

  the level of ethnocentrism

  and perception of intergroup distance

  were incorporated into models of subjective vitality. Relatedly

  these factors are shaped into group members’ discourse of vitality

  which is a highly dialogical process of negotiation of subjective vitality of the groups engaged in intergroup contact.\n\n[Summary Continues]

  Vitality Theory

  Since 2000

  the UK government has funded surveys aimed at understanding the UK public’s attitudes toward science

  scientists

  and science policy. Known as the Public Attitudes to Science series

  these surveys and their predecessors have long been used in UK science communication policy

  practice

  and scholarship as a source of authoritative knowledge about science-related attitudes and behaviors. Given their importance and the significant public funding investment they represent

  detailed academic scrutiny of the studies is needed. In this essay

  we critically review the most recently published Public Attitudes to Science survey (2014)

  assessing the robustness of its methods and claims. The review casts doubt on the quality of key elements of the Public Attitudes to Science 2014 survey data and analysis while highlighting the importance of robust quantitative social research methodology. Our analysis comparing the main sample and booster sample for young people demonstrates that quota sampling cannot be assumed equivalent to probability-based sampling techniques.

  Critical review of the United Kingdom’s “gold standard” survey of public attitudes to science

• 2009

  Bachelor of Science - BS

  Communication

  Public Relations

  QSA-SUU President (2011 SUUSA Organization of the Year)

  SHORE Co-Founder and Board Member

  Elevate Downtown public relations campaign Tactical Chair

  National Collegiate Championship Ballroom Tour Team

  Student Services Advisory Board member

  Allies on Campus advocate

  Southern Utah University

• 2001

  In the aftermath of the attacks on September 11

  al-Qaeda emerged\nnot only as the specific perpetrator of the act but also as the focus of the “war\non terror.” Until 2014 or so

  and during the almost decade and a half following\n9/11

  al-Qaeda did not recede from its perceived position as a primary (if\nnot the primary) international terrorist threat and enemy of the United\nStates. Despite al-Qaeda’s having attained such a strong foothold on how the\nmedia and government portrays

  and how the American public understands\nand responds to

  the international terrorist threat

  several new players have\nsurfaced as potentially problematic enemies (e.g.

  Boko Haram

  al-Shabaab

  \nand most important

  Daesh)

  especially during the past two years. Media\ncoverage of these groups often connects them

  either implicitly or explicitly

  \nto al-Qaeda

  using al-Qaeda to explain their form and function. As such

  it is\nimportant to take a critical look at the way al-Qaeda and its actions have\nbeen depicted in the media during this ascendant period for other terrorist\nthreats

  and to explore the effects and consequences of these portrayals.

  Framing Terrorism: The Communicative Constitution of the Terrorist Actor

  This article explores the construction of extremism in media discourse

  the factors driving specific constructions and the implications of these constructions for counterterrorism policy. We contend that extremism has predominantly and increasingly been framed as a security issue. This article explores the implications of this practice through the framework of securitisation. We measure the average intensity of security framing in 38

  616 articles found in three major US newspapers

  New York Times

  Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times

  between 20 January 1993 and 19 January 2017 comprising the Clinton

  Bush and Obama presidencies

  and look at factors influencing the shift in intensity over time. Through our analysis

  we show that it is possible to return to a pre-9/11 discourse but that the confluence of real-world events and the strategic choices of political actors have so far prevented this from fully occurring. We then explore the effect of securitisation on public perceptions of the threat from terrorism

  finding that increases in the intensity of security framing artificially increases the public’s worry about becoming a victim of terrorism. We conclude by discussing implications for the communication of counterterrorism policy and the requirements for an after

  after 9/11 approach

  Discourses on Countering Violent Extremism: The Strategic Interplay Between Fear and Security after 9/11

  The actual structures and motivations of terrorist organizations like Daesh (aka. IS

  ISIS

  ISIL) are often invisible to the general public

  and given their clandestine nature

  often opaque to all external actors (including governments

  militaries

  and others). For the general public

  the ‘picture’ of terrorism and terrorist organizations is often painted by the media

  with media framing having a direct influence on the American public’s understanding of the global terrorist threat

  and in turn on the policies and actions the public expects and wants in response. We argue that the central disconnect between the preferences of the American public and the actions of the current administration – a disconnect that we argue did not exist in relation to al Qaeda – can in part be explained by media framing of Daesh. We compare media representations of Daesh

  and al Qaeda

  with a specific focus on the time period between January 1

  2013 and December 31

  2014 and find that Daesh has been framed as an existential threat

  derivative of its framing as a singularly motivated militaristic group. Because of this framing

  there is an inherent disconnect between public perceptions of the threat posed by Daesh and the response to Daesh being pursued by the Administration.

  Framing Daesh: Failures and consequences

  Counting has long been a major tool in social science research methodology. In many fields

  to understand a phenomenon is to quantify it

  to represent both observed and latent qualities through numerical quantities. Yet the process of quantification is not easy or simple: It requires careful thought

  planning

  and a skeptical mind-set. The quantification process involves converting qualitative phenomena into numbers

  operationalization

  and the application of aggregate analysis to individuals. First we provide a simple definition of quantification

  then a brief history of quantification in the social sciences. This is followed by a discussion of the appropriate use of quantification

  and in turn aggregation

  as they apply to social science research. We conclude with two critical case studies that exemplify the misapplication of quantification in the context of rating scales and big data.

  Quantification

  Benjamin K.

  Smith

  UC Santa Barbara

  Portland State University

  California State University - East Bay

  Personal Branding Pros

  Southern Utah University

  Equality Utah

  Institute for Methods Innovation

  Arcata

  CA

  IMI is a scientific

  non-profit research institute focused on improving and supporting research and impact evaluation practices for informal learning activities. My duties with IMI included conducting original research; designing

  analyzing and reporting on evaluation and assessment projects; grant writing; contributing to the design of automated technology for social research and analysis; and delivering practitioner focused methodological training.

  Research Director

  Institute for Methods Innovation

  Hayward

  CA

  I am an Assistant Professor of Communication - Quantitative Methods at CSU East Bay. Current courses included COMM 304 - Quantitative Communication Research Methods and COMM 387 - Advertising Design and Production.

  Assistant Professor

  California State University - East Bay

  Greater Salt Lake City Area

  As a public policy intern

  I assisted in lobbying activities and citizen advocate trainings

  assisted in planning of Utah’s largest LGBT fundraiser

  assisted in execution of the first Equality Utah fundraiser in Southern Utah

  was a spokesperson for Equality Utah at the Utah Pride Festival

  and performed research into the monetary effects of non-discrimination policies on the corporate

  municipality

  and state level.

  Public Policy Intern

  Equality Utah

  UC Santa Barbara

  Portland State University

  Portland

  Oregon Area

  As a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Communication

  I served as an apprentice

  under the supervision of a regular faculty member. Specific responsibilities varied by course and instructor

  but included course administration

  guest lecturing

  administration and teaching of lab / instructional sections

  and course design. \n\nAssisted with:\n\nComm 211 (Lower division) - Fall 2012\nMass Communication and Society

  with Dr. Lee Shaker\n\nComm 312 (Upper division) - Winter 2013

  Spring 2013\nMedia Literacy

  with Dr. Lee Shaker\n\nComm 311 (Upper division) - Fall 2013

  Winter 2014

  Spring 2014\nCommunication Research Methods

  with Dr. Cynthia Coleman

  Graduate Teaching Assistant

  Santa Barbara

  California Area

  As a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Communication

  I served as an apprentice

  under the supervision of a regular faculty member. Specific responsibilities varied by course and instructor

  but included course administration

  guest lecturing

  administration and teaching of lab / instructional sections

  and course design.

  Teaching Assistant - Department of Communication

  UC Santa Barbara

  Cedar City

  UT

  Prepared and edited speeches and presentations

  gave advice on presentation of speeches

  and assisted in various marketing activities. Assisted with an award winning presentation for the SUU Construction Management team. Performed numerous training sessions

  including a leadership-training seminar for the Bureau of Land Management.

  Marketing Intern - Speech & Presentation Center

  Southern Utah University

  Cedar City

  UT

  Working in Special Collections at the Gerald R. Sherratt Library

  I oversaw the digitization of rare and fragile archival material

  and conducted research projects for guests.

  Assistant Archivist

  Southern Utah University

  Portland

  Oregon Area

  As the co-founder

  account planner and lead market research analyst for PBP

  my primary role was identification of individuals' target audience(s) and current market position

  as well as analysis of current strengths

  weaknesses

  opportunities and threats. Using that information

  I would then develop and oversee execution of detailed brand strategies. Our clients were primarily entertainment professionals

  including multiple actors

  authors

  screenwriters

  and radio personalities.

  Market Research Analyst & Account Planner

  Personal Branding Pros

  Santa Barbara

  California Area

  As a Graduate Student Researcher at the Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies

  my primary duty was to conduct research related to the Media Construction of Terrorism research project. This project explored how the media constructs the public's understanding of terrorism

  extremism

  and terrorist organizations

  and the effect of these media constructions on public perceptions of the threat terrorist activities pose

  as well as support for particular counter terrorism initiatives.

  Graduate Student Researcher - Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies

  UC Santa Barbara

  Santa Barbara

  California Area

  As a visiting scholar at the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies

  I continued my work on the Media Constructions of Terrorism

  studying the typology of frames used by media organizations when discussing terrorist actors and the effects of these frames on public attitudes and beliefs about terrorist organizations and the threat of terrorism.

  Visiting Scholar - Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies

  UC Santa Barbara

  Cedar City

  UT

  I oversaw all marketing initiatives by the Southern Utah University Student Association (SUUSA)

  including

  among others

  a hearts and minds campaign which increased awareness of SUUSA by 30% over three months and raised positive opinions from 22% to 51%. In my role

  I managed a team of ten

  and oversaw several training sessions for both the Marketing Team and SUUSA. During my tenure

  I was selected as the SUUSA Director of the Year for 2011-2012.

  Marketing Director - SUU Student Association

  Southern Utah University

  Santa Barbara

  California Area

  As a Teaching Associate in the Department of Communication

  I served as Instructor of Record

  and was in charge of all aspects of course design and administration.

  Teaching Associate - Department of Communication

  UC Santa Barbara

• Google Analytics

  Public Speaking

  Event Planning

  Political Communication

  HTML

  Lobbying

  Social Media

  Marketing

  Marketing Communications

  Social Media Marketing

  Public Relations

  Research

  Graphic Design

  Adobe Creative Suite

  Teaching

  Event Management

  Facebook

  Qualitative Research

  Experience

  Politics

  Using Wikipedia to Predict Election Outcomes: Online Behavior as a Predictor of Voting