Kristen Swain, PH.D.

Associate Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications

Kristen Alley Swain is an associate professor in the Department of Integrated Marketing Communication at the University of Mississippi. With over 30 years of teaching experience and 25 years in faculty leadership roles, Dr. Swain has published in flagship journals and partnered on grant projects related to public health, bioterrorism, COVID misinformation, and freight spills. Her interdisciplinary work – guided by the question, “How does the media frame grand challenges and explain complex risks?” – has explored media framing of food sustainability, climate change, carbon capture, HIV/AIDS, and public policy. As an ally for the local Pride network, she recently guided a writing class to develop a social media campaign to promote the new LGBTQIA+ Emergency Fund of North MS. As UM's Planet Forward coordinator, she organizes delegations of top UM students to participate in annual, national sustainability summits in D.C. and promotes sustainability storytelling across campus. She enjoys mentoring student researchers and teaches courses in health communication, research methods, media ethics, and IMC writing. With a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Florida, Swain previously worked as a professional journalist and photographer.

Gender Studies -Related Research Interests:  Media framing of LGBTQ issues including the experiences and rights of transgender youth, climate change impacts on marginalized women and LGBTQ individuals, multicultural health communication and risk framing