Mia is in her second year of doctoral studies in the College of Communication and Information Sciences. Specializing in mass communication, her research interests include the representation and portrayal of minorities in the media. Upon approval, her dissertation will focus on a textual analysis of slave advertisements during the Civil War era (1861-1865) in order to analyze the root and development of stereotypes commonly emitted by the media.
Mia gained her master’s degree from the University of Tennessee (2001) and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia (1999). Before returning to school, Mia taught communication courses for three years at Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia. She also has experience in the sports arena, working within the media relations departments of the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers, the Atlanta Braves, and the Atlanta Thrashers.
Mia is a 2008 recipient of the Southern Regional Education Board State Doctoral Scholars Fellowship and a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society. She and two classmates won second place honors in the 2008 African American Graduate Student Association Business Plan Competition. Her campus involvement includes membership with the Graduate Student Association and the African American Graduate Student Association. She is also active in her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
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