Melissa Brough

University of California, Irvine

Biography

Melissa Brough was a postdoctoral researcher for the Connected Learning Research Network at the Digital Media and Learning Hub, directed by Mizuko (Mimi) Ito. She completed her PhD in Communication at the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California in 2014. As both a scholar and practitioner, her work focuses on the relationships between digital media, citizen engagement, youth empowerment, and social change, emphasizing community-based research. As a Fulbright grantee in Medellin, Colombia, she carried out her dissertation research on youth engagement and participatory public culture in the digital age. She has collaborated with a number of youth and community media initiatives including Mobile Voices and the Chiapas Media Project. Prior to pursuing her PhD she worked in development communication as a Program Officer for FilmAid International, and in documentary filmmaking. She received her B.A. in Development Studies and Modern Culture & Media from Brown University.