Biography

Derek teaches courses in Speech Communication at Northland Community and Technical College. He began teaching at Northland in 2023.

Derek grew up in Iowa where he took classes from Iowa Central Community College in high school through a program similar to CHS. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Rhetoric and Communication Studies from Drake University where he also helped to create and worked in the Speaking Center.

Next, Derek earned an M.A. in Communication Studies from Colorado State University. At CSU, he began teaching and earned a Graduate Teaching Certificate and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies. His M.A. thesis analyzed how the Mall of America communicated the feeling of security through its physical structures and symbolic messages like placards and signs.

Derek then earned a Ph. D. in Communication Arts and Sciences from Pennsylvania State University and worked one year as a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow. While at PSU, Derek researched how media affects and structures how people make sense of the world and understand crises and other scary or confusing events. He published two scholarly articles: “Voting Horrors: Youthful, Monstrous, and Worrying Agency in American Film” and “Modern Zeus: Drones, Deinos, and Dissuading Dissent” as well as textbook chapters on Marvel’s Iron Man as propaganda and Netflix’s Stranger Things. His research culminated in his dissertation that tracked how the horror franchise Saw taught viewers how to think about the people, places, and scenarios of the “war on terror.” This work also traced how elements of Saw showed up in other media including artwork, fan fiction, network shows, and even children’s television.

Derek uses his background in media studies in his classes and invites students to bring examples from their lives. Whether it’s pitching a television show in Intro to Public Speaking or identifying concepts in a sitcom for Interpersonal Communication, Derek believes that these courses can help you understand the world around you, how to interact with it effectively, and take purposeful actions toward your goals.

Department

Academics – Liberal Arts & Transfer Pathways Programs

Office Location

Thief River Falls – 622D