Martin LangAlumni and Faculty

When I was seven years old, I had a terrible falling out with my neighborhood pal over whether or not it was OK for me to play Wonder Woman in our backyard adventures. (Those bullet-blocking bracelets amazed me.)  That incident planted in me a fascination for the powerful ways media shape how we see ourselves and each other.  Eventually I put down my golden lasso and took up research and teaching in media studies, cultural studies, gender studies, and rhetorical criticism.  I study and teach the ways that media contribute to our individual and collective senses of identity, including characteristics like gender, race, socioeconomic class, and sexuality.

The media-focused courses I teach, such as Intro to Critical Media Studies and Media/Culture/Power, reflect the curiosity that was sparked when I was a kid in my backyard.  Gender studies and feminist theory also shape my perspectives, and many of my courses are included in the curricula for the Film and Media Studies and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies programs. Much of my research examines how media influence power dynamics in society in both oppressive and liberating ways.

I have worked to translate these ideas into action by grounding many of my courses and research projects in community-engaged learning and action.  Students in my courses develop new skills and knowledge as they work on real-word issues with community partners such as the Nicollet County Historical Society, Saint Peter School District, Special Olympics, Mankato Free Press, and the La Union community organization. I also contribute to our department's nationally-recognized Public Discourse program, which has had profound effects on students' abilities to make positive change in the world.  My own scholarship also includes collaborations in the community where I live. For example, I have worked with community partners to create documentary films that spark dialogue on important issues like racial equity, immigration, and environmental sustainability.  In 2019, I was recognized with the Presidents' Civic Engagement Steward Award through Campus Compact. 

My work also has a global dimension, leading me to travel with students to Fiji and New Zealand to study the intermingling of indigenous and colonial influences in modern cultures.  I also served as faculty director for the Social Justice, Peace, and Development semester abroad program in India, a life-changing experience for me and many of the students who participated.

When I'm not prepping a syllabus or editing a video sequence, I play pickup soccer, work on cars, build stained glass pieces, play video games, bake, read Sherman Alexie books, seek out funky documentaries, rewatch The Big Lebowski with my partner, and occasionally try to distract our dogs from the squeaking bicycle wheel or distant ambulance siren that they seem to think pose a mortal threat to us all.  I often wonder if Ira Glass' job could really be as groovy as I imagine, and I am in perpetual pursuit of the perfect caramel corn.

Courses Taught