The Research Centre in American Studies is pleased to announce that Professors Michel Hogue (History) and Chris Russill (Communications) have become our new Associate Directors. After four years of service, Melissa Haussman and Andrew Johnston decided to take a break for a while from administration. Chris is an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Communication. He completed his Ph.D in Communications at Penn State, and his M.A. and B. A. at York University in Toronto. His research focuses on how we observe, know, and govern imperceptible environmental processes through media that register, record, and process otherwise undetectable environmental changes. “I am especially interested in efforts to integrate diverse observational techniques into the design of early warning systems, a North American fascination since the 1950s that has produced a wide array of what I call ‘precautionary media’. Precautionary media include weather forecasts, tropical cyclone and tsunami warnings, ultraviolet radiation alerts, seismic warnings, public health monitoring, and, of course, warnings of climate change danger.” Michel is an Assistant Professor of History who completed his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin, holds a BA from Simon Fraser and an MA from the University of Calgary. His research and teaching focuses on North American borderlands, First Nations history, Métis, the fur trade, the history of the West, and native-newcomer relations.
We want to welcome our most excellent colleagues Chris and Michel to their new posts.