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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Suman Mishra, PhD, attended the 2022 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference in Detroit in August to present a scholarly paper, entitled “Smart Assistants for Smart Living: Ideology and Mythology in AI-powered Smart Speaker.” The paper, which she co-authored with Rebecca Kern-Stone, PhD, of Manhattan College, was awarded 2022 Top Faculty Paper in the Cultural and Critical Studies Division.

“During the pandemic, most conferences moved online, so I still managed to attend and present my research,” said Mishra, professor and director of graduate studies in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Mass Communications. “This was the first in-person conference I have attended since the pandemic began. To present to a live audience, see their reactions in real time, and interact with them afterwards exchanging ideas and networking was extremely rewarding.” 

“This is critical and cultural research that explains how human desires are converted into ‘needs’ through advertising and how social and cultural realities and myths are produced and reproduced in order to facilitate consumption of products,” she explained.

Mishra teaches several courses, including research methods in mass communication, media law and policy, international advertising, media campaigns and transnational media. She uses cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches in her work.

“These approaches help to advance and expand knowledge beyond the confinement of a particular culture or discipline,” she said. “For example, by crossing the limits of traditional disciplinary approaches to studying a topic, one can provide a new perspective or better understanding of an issue.”

Her current research focuses on spirituality in the context of marketing and communications. With multiple top paper awards from the AEJMC and Central States Communication Association (CSCA), Mishra believes that it is the interdisciplinary nature of her work that makes it interesting and stand out.

“It allows me to read widely and investigate topics more deeply,” she stated. “It also helps me to remain current in the field. I bring all this knowledge to my courses and guide graduate students with their research.”

The AEJMC is a nonprofit, educational association of journalism and mass communication educators, students and media professionals. Its mission is to promote the highest possible standards for journalism and mass communication education.

Photo: Suman Mishra, professor and director of graduate studies in the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Mass Communications.