Stephen Stifano

Associate Professor in-Residence

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Department of Communication

Education

Ph.D., University of Connecticut, 2011

About

Steve Stifano is an Associate Professor in-Residence at the University of Connecticut. He is an academic with a quantitative research background who also works as a designer, event producer, and independent filmmaker. His research considers the role of emotion in the creation and consumption of narrative media. Recently, he has been examining how emotional education can be used to improve the narratives of texting-and-driving and safer sex public service announcements. In addition, Dr. Stifano provides training for the department’s teaching assistants, lectures for and coordinates the introductory communication course, and has led the effort to revive digital media production courses in the department. For more information, see http://stephenstifano.com/.

Courses Taught

• COMM 1000: The Process of Communication
• COMM 2100: Professional Communication
• COMM 3000Q: Research Methods in Communication
• COMM 2940: Fundamentals of Digital Production
• COMM 4940: Digital Video Production

Research Interests

• The influence of emotion in narrative media
• Emotional education in health PSAs
• Social media and mobile communication as tools for enhancing higher-education learning
• Quantifiable measures of mediated communication between filmmakers and audiences
• Visualization, Presentation, and Representation of quantitative data for diverse audiences
• New media technologies and their effects on social interaction and relationship formation