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Pepperdine | Seaver College
Lauren Sowa

Lauren Alexandra Sowa

Visiting Assistant Professor
Communication, Seaver College
CCB 220
310.506.6004

Biography

Lauren Alexandra Sowa is a visiting assistant professor of communication at Seaver College. Her research focuses on intersectional feminism and representation within production cultures, television, and popular culture. Inspired by her several-decade career in the entertainment industry as an actor in SAG/AFTRA and AEA, she combines her research interests and media experience through her work as a public speaking coach and media consultant. She has sole-authored articles published in the International Journal of Communication and Communication, Culture, and Critique and is on the editorial committee for Henry Jenkins’s Confessions of An Aca-Fan. 

Education

  • PhD Communication, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, 2022
  • MA Communication, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, 2019
  • Master of Communication Management, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, 2015
  • BFA Theatre, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts 2010

 

  • Sowa, L. A. (2022). Beyond Benson: From Law & Order: SVU to Holland’s Grenslanders, Female Masculinity in Crime Dramas Fall Victim to Feminized Tropes. Communication, Culture, and Critique.
  • Sowa, L. A. (2022) Historical and Contemporary Representations of Youth and Teens in Media Fictions. International Journal of Communication.
  • Sowa, L. A. (2021). Breaking Stereotypes or Stereotypical Breakdowns?: Analyzing Television Casting Breakdowns for Latina Characters. International Journal of Communication. 15: 3358-3378. 
  •  Sowa, L. A. & Gomez, M. “Director John Chu’s Management of Representation: Audience Reactions to ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and ‘In the Heights.’” Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference. Chicago, IL. April 2022
  • Sowa, L. A. “Un/Bridgerton-ing Racial Divides: A Critical Look at Bridgerton’s Colorblind Casting.” National Communication Association Conference (Theatre, Film, and New Multi-Media Division). Seattle, WA. Nov 2021
  • Sowa, L. A. “These are Their Stories: A Conjunctural Analysis of Law & Order: SVU’s Cultural Perspectives” National Communication Association Conference. Seattle, WA. Nov 2021
  • Sowa, L. A. “Breaking stereotypes or stereotypical breakdowns?: Analyzing television casting breakdowns for Latina Characters.” International Communication Association Conference (Ethnicity & Race Division), Washington DC. May 2019
  • Sowa, L. A. “From gendered products to gender politics: How beauty-vloggers turned UN change ambassadors engage intersectionality.” International Communication Association Conference (Feminist Scholarship Division), Washington DC. May 2019
  • Sowa, L. A. “Do you hear the people rap?: Broadway’s broadening of the public sphere through Les Miserables and Hamilton.” International Communication Association Conference (Visual Studies Division), Washington DC. May 2019
  • Sowa, L. A. “A dream is a wish your brain manifests into reality: A comparative analysis of Disney princess’ autonomy and the Dream Big, Princess campaign.” Pop Culture Conference. DePaul University, Chicago, IL. May 2019
  • Sowa, L. A. “Breaking down casting: A deeper look at the breakdown services descriptions for roles.” USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Research Seminar. Los Angeles, CA Sept 2018
  • Sowa, L. A. “Women in media: Investigating the representation of women in crime drama television.” International Communication Association Conference (Visual Studies Division), Prague, Czech Republic. May 2018 

Topics

  • Cultural Studies
  • Public Speaking
  • Television Studies
  • Fandom Studies
  • Production Cultures
  • Intersectional Feminism

Courses

  • SART 305: History of Screen Arts
  • COM 180: Public Speaking and Rhetorical Analysis