Communications Research and Creative Works
At Adelphi University, your study in communications connects storytelling, media production and critical analysis of how information shapes culture, society and public life.
From your first year, you can engage in hands-on learning in areas such as film and video production, digital storytelling, journalism, media theory, social media strategy, and communication law and ethics. Students develop both creative and analytical skills while producing work for real audiences across platforms.
To receive credit for research:
- Connect with faculty during your first year to explore research interests
- Identify a focus area aligned with media, communication, or storytelling
- Develop a project or portfolio under faculty mentorship
- Register for independent study or research credits with approval
Students present their work at the Adelphi Scholarship and Creative Works Conference and may also pursue internships, festivals, publications and professional media opportunities.
Through the SPARK Center (Scholars Pursuing Arts, Research and Knowledge), students can receive funding, mentorship and support for independent research, media production and conference participation.
Faculty Expertise and Areas of Focus
Mark Grabowski, JD studies media law, technology and society. His work examines how artificial intelligence, social media, and digital platforms are reshaping free expression, journalism and public discourse. A lawyer and former political journalist, he is the author of books on cyber law and ethics and cryptocurrencies.
Joan Stein Schimke, MFA, MBA is an Academy Award–nominated director, screenwriter and producer and a member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA). Her work includes directing for television series such as Law & Order, producing award-winning short films screened internationally, and working across feature film production roles. Her research and teaching focus on the social impact of film, AI in filmmaking, professional production practices and mentoring students through hands-on industry collaborations.
Malika Burieva is a content creator and instructor focusing in content creation and social media influencing. With an audience of over 100,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram (@malika.burieva), her work explores Central Asia, the Middle East, and global culture. She has been featured by the BBC and international film festivals for her digital storytelling and cultural commentary.
Donald Fizzinoglia is an instructor in cinema history and an independent filmmaker with decades of experience in film and television production. His work spans documentaries, television programming and independent film, with projects featured on networks including AMC and MTV.
Jason Spencer, PhD researches emerging media and artificial intelligence in film and communication. A filmmaker with a background in broadcast journalism, his work explores how new technologies are reshaping storytelling and media production. He holds multiple patents in media technology and has worked on Emmy- and Peabody Award–winning productions for PBS, Ken Burns, Warner Bros., and MTV Networks.
Sonja Bozic, PhD works in transmedia storytelling, digital filmmaking and emerging media technologies, with a focus on how narrative structures evolve across platforms and how audiences engage with immersive and interactive media. Her work explores documentary and experimental storytelling—including virtual reality (VR) and XR projects— and examines the creative and ethical implications of new technologies such as AI in media production.
Liza N. Burby is an award-winning journalist, editor and author. A longtime freelance reporter for Newsday, her work has appeared in The New York Times and over 50 national publications. She is the author of dozens of nonfiction books for children and adults and the founding publisher of Long Island Parent magazine.
Gregg Sarra is an Emmy Award-winning sportswriter for Newsday. He has covered high school sports on Long Island, NY for more than 40 years and is widely known as “Mr. High School Sports” for his impact on local athletics and journalism.
Paul Thaler, PhD focuses on the effect of having television cameras in American courtrooms; the potential legal and cultural impact of televising trials for public and media consumption. His acclaimed book, The Spectacle: Media and the Making of the OJ Simpson Story, centered around the Simpson trial. His current research is directed toward issues and challenges related to free speech and democracy. Listen to his guest interview on iHeartRadio.
Anna Akerman Berman, PhD is a social psychologist specializing in child development and media. Her research examines how children and adolescents engage with media, including its potential as an educational tool and the impact of smartphone use on youth mental health and well-being.
Nathan Ross, PhD researches transformation in media technologies as they relate to the formation of human subjectivity. His work integrates aesthetic, political and ethical dimensions, with application to film theory, Artificial Intelligence and digital culture. He has written books on aesthetic experience, media theorist Walter Benjamin and is currently working on a book that examines the relation between cinema and contemplative practices.