As a part of the Before Representation series in Fall 2019, Dr. TreaAndrea Russworm, Associate Professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst, presented her work on race and video games at the IU Media School. Dr. Russworm’s work spans across digital cultural studies to postmodern studies. A natural storyteller since childhood, the professor envisioned herself becoming a writer first until someone told her that she could get a Ph.D. and write books on the side. In this podcast interview, Dr. Russworm describes her academic and personal journey to where she is now, currently writing her fourth book, a monograph on race and technology.

Topics Discussed:

0:00-2:45 Introductions

02:45-26:50 Beginnings, becoming an academic, studying multimedia, and the importance of hobbies

27:20-38:10 Shifting from studying cinema to studying video games, what makes a game a game and a movie a movie?

38:47-45:30 Catfish, the protection of anonymity, VR, and The Matrix

45:45:00-1:03:15 Discussing representational meaning making in her upcoming lecture

Frame By Frame is hosted by Dr. Terri Francis

Theme music provided by BRZ with additional music from André Seewood and Deija Lighon

Production by David Carter, Deonna Weatherly and Bria McCarty

Notes and episode descriptions were written by Yeeseon Chae with additional assistance from David Carter

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