Dr. 维拉沃克霍金斯 is the Interim Chair of the Journalism Department in the 传播学院 at 德克萨斯南方大学. Her research focuses on digital inclusion, technology and media empowerment for children and their communities. Dr. Hawkins is an affiliate researcher and founding member of the 德克萨斯南方大学 Center for Excellence in 住房 and 社区发展政策研究. The CEHCDPR, one of two such national Centers for Excellence located at an HBCU, is funded by the U.S. Department of 住房 and Urban Development (HUD). Dr. Hawkins is a member of the grant-writing team who received the initial funding $1,000,启动CEHCDPR的奖金是1000美元, where her current investigation examines the impact of broadband and digital inclusion within minority and underserved communities--particularly Third Ward and Harris County.
Dr. Hawkins holds a Post-Doctorate in comparative media studies from The Massachusetts Institute of 技术 (MIT) and received her formative media research training from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her degrees include a Doctor of Philosophy in journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, a Master’s of Arts in telecommunications management from The Ohio University and a Bachelor’s of Arts in drama from Tufts University.
作为新闻学的终身教授. Hawkins serves in numerous administrative and faculty positions at Texas Southern, since arriving in 2005 including QEP Director, Founding Board Member of the Teaching and Learning Center and Vice President of the Faculty Senate. 在加入托国立之前, 她获得了大约200美元的奖金, 000 dollars by the American Educational 研究 Association (AERA) for her Post-Doctorate research at MIT focused on children and new media. 在麻省理工学院期间. Hawkins consulted with the Games that Teach initiative and reviewed game prototypes for cultural relevance. Also, she engaged in lectures and reviewed research in the MIT Media Lab.
As a National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE) Faculty Fellow, Dr. Hawkins served at WGBH-TV PBS in Boston in the Interactive Kids Division. 在系列剧, sheobserved and participated in planning and work sessions for maintaining PBS websites including Arthur, 狮子之间, 变焦, 巴斯特的明信片, 好奇的乔治, 玛莎说,设计小组和取回. She interviewed the content developers and reviewed programming for broadband as well as other platforms including CDROM, interactive television and the Nintendo Wii.
In addition to the NATPE Faculty Fellowship, Dr. Hawkins is the recipient of several prestigious communication fellowships including: the Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for the Advancement of Women in Communication and the Institute for Diverse Leadership Fellowship from the Association for Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). Dr. Hawkins is a Member of the National Communication Association, The Association for Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication, Women in Animation and the Children’s Media Association. 博士的其他项目. Hawkins include creating an original preschool animated television show that teaches science principles to children and working to develop the next generation of urban communicators.