Julia Waddell

Julia Waddell
  • Associate Professor
  • Department: Communication and Media
  • Institution: West Chester University of Pennsylvania
  • Email: JWaddell@wcupa.edu

Education

  • Ph.D., Media and Information Studies, Michigan State University
  • M.A., Mass Communication, University of North Carolina
  • B.A., English and Journalism, University of Florida

Research Interests

Media Effects, Games Studies, Social Media

Opportunities

Work Study Positions Available: No

Grant Funded Positions Available: No

Course-Credit Research Opportunities Available: No

Volunteer Research Positions Available: No

Biography

Dr. Julia Crouse Waddell is an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media. She teaches all things media: mass communication, effects, writing, and theory courses. Waddell's research encompasses social psychology, media communication and technology. Her dissertation examined the impacts of social identification and deindividuation within bimodal social communication technology [video games]. Waddell received her Ph.D. in Media and Information Studies from Michigan State University, a master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina, and bachelor's degrees in English and Journalism from the University of Florida. She is currently working on a project examining crisis communication and social media. In her early career, Waddell worked as an education beat reporter for The Ledger in Lakeland, Fla. She also has worked for the Durham Herald-Sun and as a journalism volunteer for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

List of Publications

  • Waddell, J. C. (2026). Video Games: Communication Culture & Theory. Cognella Press.
  • Hayes, R. A., & Waddell, J. C. (2024). "Effects of Organizational Social Media Responses to Public Tragedies: From 'Thoughts and Prayers' to 'Likes and Shares' (Top Paper)" Central States Communication Association, Grand Rapids, Mich.
  • Waddell, J. C. (2022) The Futurians, Gamergate, and Fandom: The Construction of Social Identities Through Competition and Technology in R. A. Dunn (Ed.) Research Anthology on Fandoms, Online Social Communities, and Pop Culture. IGI Global: Hershey, PA
  • Stuetz, K. & Waddell, J. C. (2020) Fans as Active Audiences: The Collegiate ESports Student-Athlete Experience in R. A. Dunn (Ed.) Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Media Fandom. IGI Global: Hershey, PA.
  • Hayes, R. A., Waddell, J. C., & Smudde, P. (2017). Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims: Explicating the public tragedy as a public relations challenge. Public Relations Inquiry.

Links