Dr. Amy Henderson Riley, Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Amy Henderson Riley joined the Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI) as a Postdoctoral Fellow in June of 2017 to work with Univision/CMSI’s Rise Up Media & Social Change Project. Amy is a mixed methods social and behavior change communication researcher and practitioner, who specializes in entertainment-education (EE) as a strategy for individual and social change. Early in her career, Amy worked on the production and distribution side of media (working for companies including Women Make Movies, Magnolia Pictures, and MTV), and eventually transitioned into research (conducting research for Hollywood, Health & Society, PCI Media Impact, and others).
Amy has conducted EE research in multiple countries and on several continents covering a range of topics, including maternal and child health, family planning, HIV/AIDS, child protection, and violence. Her research aims to connect theory to practice and has been published in journals including Journal of Creative Communications, Journal of Health Communication, and Cases in Public Health Communication & Marketing.
Amy received her doctorate (DrPH) from the Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health in June 2017. She also holds an MA in Health Education from Columbia University and a BFA in Theater with a Film Studies Concentration from The New School. Her first media job was as a page at The Late Show with David Letterman, where she met a fellow page who is now her husband. Amy works remotely from New Jersey, where she also serves as an adjunct in the undergraduate public health program at Rutgers University.
Megan Rummler, Communication and Program Strategist, Fellow
Megan joined CMSI in August and will serve as Communication and Program Strategist to help the center design, manage and implement a variety of strategic and digital communication outreach projects. In addition, she will assist with various CMSI program management duties.
Megan is also a current executive graduate student in AU’s SOC Masters in Journalism & Digital Storytelling program. Megan brings a robust background in strategic communications and public relations agency work leveraging her career from time at Weber Shandwick Worldwide. While there, she worked in both the Washington, D.C. and Silicon Valley offices and managed various accounts from Fortune 500 companies to emerging technology start-ups. Upon completing her masters program, Megan is aiming to combine her strategic communication background along with her voice narration expertise to launch a digital podcast and website that centers around contemporary Asian American issues and advocacy interests.
Elise Bell, CMSI Graduate Student Research Assistant
Elise, currently an AU SOC graduate student, is pursuing a Masters of Art in Strategic Communication with either a concentration in Public Diplomacy and Global Affairs or Media and Social Impact.
She recently completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science at Clemson University and aspires to leverage her advanced degree to engage in political science rhetoric and issues. With a passion for international affairs, Elise is aiming to become part of an intergovernmental organization such as the United Nations or a similar global organization that addresses world issues. She is thrilled to be studying in the nation’s capital and plans on taking advantage of the location by visiting as many embassies, museums, and conferences as possible.
Elizabeth Drabkin, CMSI Graduate Student Research Assistant
Elisabeth, currently a graduate student, is pursuing a Masters of Art in Strategic Communication at AU’s School of Communication. She also holds a Bachelors of Art with Special Honors in English from the University of Texas. Elisabeth first arrived in Washington, DC to intern on Capitol Hill. Following her internship, she embarked on a career representing a range of energy sector interests in legislative and regulatory matters, with positions at a national trade association, a publicly-traded corporation, and a mid-sized law firm. Through her studies at AU, Elisabeth hopes to combine her professional experience and skills with her passion for health and wellness promotion. As a graduate student, Elisabeth is exploring the role of communication with health and wellness literacy and how to effectively utilize communication strategies to promote and advocate for health-related initiatives and concerns.