Rate My Professor Nathian Rodriguez

Nathian Rodriguez is a Professor and Associate Director in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University, where he contributes to the Communications discipline through his expertise in critical-cultural and digital media studies. He earned his B.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, a Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication with a concentration in Public Relations from Kent State University, and a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from Texas Tech University. Joining SDSU shortly after completing his doctorate in 2016, Rodriguez has nearly a decade of service at the institution, complemented by ten years of professional experience in radio broadcasting, including roles as on-air talent, sales representative, promotions specialist, and social media marketer. He directs the Media, Identity, and Communication Innovation Research Lab and champions intersectional approaches in teaching to address diverse student identities encompassing race, gender, class, sexuality, and ability.

Rodriguez's research focuses on minority representation in media, particularly LGBTQ and Latinx portrayals and intersectional identity negotiation, alongside pop culture, radio broadcasting, issues of masculinity, and the communicative role in identity formation for LGBTI refugees and asylees in the United States. Key publications include his edited volume Instructing Intersectionality: Critical and Practical Strategies for the Journalism and Mass Communication Classroom (2024), which provides global strategies for inclusive pedagogy; “Hip-Hop's Authentic Masculinity: A Quare Reading of Fox's Empire” in Television & New Media (2018); “Winning on Social Media: Candidate Social-Mediated Communication and Voting During the 2016 US Presidential Election” (2019); and “Negotiation of Sexual Identity in Gay On-Air Talent on West Texas Radio and Television Media” (2018). His scholarship has accumulated over 760 citations. Rodriguez delivered a TEDxSDSU presentation on “Intersectionality & Latinx as Digital Disruptions of Identity” and has developed courses on cultural icons Selena and Bad Bunny. In 2024, he was awarded the Dean's Award for Achievement in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity by the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts.