Dr. Karen McDevitt
Dr. Karen McDevitt
Biography
Dr. Karen McDevitt teaches New Media Practices (COM 5280) and New Media Theory (COM 6270), which are the two core courses for the Graduate Certificate in Communication and New Media. She is also an instructor for Introduction to M.A. Studies in Communication, Film Criticism + Theory, Media Criticism + Analysis, and Introduction to Film.
Karen has been teaching about media (old and new) since earning an Individual Interdisciplinary Ph.D. from Wayne State University (2002), with a specialization in new media communication and gender studies. She has a distinct interest in media convergence from a critical-cultural studies perspective, and her current research focuses on the ways in which new media are reshaping contemporary social practices.
Currently serving on the Executive Board of Directors of the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Karen is also a member of the Editorial Board of Directors for Wayne State University Press. She is a regular attendee at the Toronto International Film Festival and the New Directors Film Festival in New York, but she can be found almost every weekend at either the DFT or the Maple Theatre. Karen lives in the Village of Milford with her husband, John Evans, and their rescue dachshund, Otto.
Prior to academia, Karen established a long history as a graphic artist and founder/owner of five graphic art studio locations in the Detroit metro area. While admitting to a fervent interest in all things mediated, Karen is an especially avid fan of life-online.
Primary Research Interest
new media and contemporary social practices, online communities, media convergence, film and television criticism
Office Hours
Online: 9am - 10pm, daily
OnCampus: Wednesdays, 1 - 3pm
Courses taught by Dr. Karen McDevitt
Fall Term 2024 (future)
- COM5540 - Film Criticism and Theory
- COM6050 - New Media Practices
- COM7000 - Introduction to MA Studies in Communication
Winter Term 2024
- ENG2450 - Introduction to Film
- COM2010 - Introduction to Film
- COM6270 - New Media Theory
- COM7000 - Introduction to MA Studies in Communication
Fall Term 2023
- COM5540 - Film Criticism and Theory
- COM6050 - New Media Practices
- COM7000 - Introduction to MA Studies in Communication
Spring-Summer Term 2023
Winter Term 2023
- COM3010 - Media Analysis and Criticism
- COM5540 - Film Criticism and Theory
- COM6270 - New Media Theory
Fall Term 2022
- COM5510 - Societal Effects of New Technologies
- COM5540 - Film Criticism and Theory
- COM6050 - New Media Practices