Jennifer Townsend

The study of film as one of the 20th and now the 21st century’s most important and influential forms of artistic expression is my major area of teaching and research. Film is a living art, constantly changing, evolving and adapting in response to the needs and demands of a global audience. My teaching and research encompass a variety of critical and theoretical approaches used to examine and critique of the social, political, economic, historical, cultural, artistic, and technical aspects of film. Introduction to Film and Documentary Film emphasize meaning-making and authorship/ownership in an age of social media and digital technologies while Science Fiction Film explores the often-contentious relationship between humans and technology and explores SF film’s history as the cinema of attractions and spectacle. Film History traces the means and mechanisms by which film has come to elicit powerful aesthetic and emotional experiences in its viewers, provide insights into diverse cultures, and challenge established ways of thinking.

In teaching composition, my courses are designed to be responsive to the research and writing needs and interests of a highly diverse student population as well as their future discourse communities both professional and academic. The profound impact of social media and digital technologies on the art and practice of written and spoken communication genres is a key conceptual area of both teaching and research. Reflection, metacognition, and transference of skills are embedded into traditional writing and research assignments such as a research proposal or slideware presentation as well as the construction of digital genres such as a web page or video game.