CLR Faculty Spotlight: Maria DeMoya

Maria DeMoya, PhD

P R O F E S S O R | J O U R N A L I S T

C O L L E G E O F C O M M U N I C A T I O N .

So, you recently shared that your new book was published. Congratulations! What exactly is the book about?

Thank you! The book is about public diplomacy i.e., the diplomatic efforts directed towards citizens of other nations. Our book focused on efforts involving Latin American diasporas in the U.S., Spain, France, China, and other places. Traditionally, public diplomacy looks at government-led efforts (for example, the Mexican government promoting its culture to Colombian citizens), but because of the reach and ease of using digital and social media, it can be led by many nonstate actors, including community organizations, businesses and notfor-profits.

What inspired you to take on this project?

So many things! First, being a member of the Dominican diaspora–I’m very aware of my role in contributing to how people from other nations view and understand my home country and our culture. Second, as a strategic communication scholar, my research centers around how ethnic groups and organizations create narratives about themselves, or the issues they care about, and try to persuade or influence others’ actions and opinions. Lastly, but just as importantly, having a research partner– my coeditor Vanessa Bravo, of Elon University– who is a member of the Costa Rican diaspora, and shares my passion for this research--was essential in making this book happen.

I see that you had a career as a journalist and public relations expert before coming to DePaul, how did it feel to be a woman of color in those areas?

This is a big question, but I will do my best to summarize. I practiced journalism and PR mostly in my home country, the Dominican Republic, so I wasn’t as aware of my person of color identity. There, I did have to deal with many challenges related to gender. However, my country’s culture, sadly, is very Macho. So, working in media, I continuously had to deal with people who would doubt my abilities, being overlooked and under-appreciated, having male supervisors take credit for my work, and sadly, I did face instances with sexual harassment. It made me develop my activist side and learn to advocate for myself at work and elsewhere. It's not easy when you are going against established culture, but it has shaped all my life and work since.

During my Ph.D. and when I started teaching, even before joining DePaul, I became more aware of myself as a person of color and how others saw me. It made me feel part of a larger, more diverse community (i.e. the Latino community) which was great. Not so great was having to deal with stereotypes, micro-aggressions, being overlooked and feeling under-appreciated.

What inspired you to teach after having a career in the journalism field?

I started teaching after I started in PR. I had a 9-5 job for the first time and was free to teach classes in the evening. A friend from the newspaper I used to work for had become chair of the communication department at a local university and asked me to teach. By the time I had taught two or three classes, I realized I enjoyed the classroom experience more than anything. I love and respect the communication field and felt very proud of teaching and mentoring future communication professionals. I still get to write and do some pro-bono PR consulting, which means I get the best of both worlds.

How does the work you do influence what or how you teach in the classroom?

I tend to focus more on the strategic communication of groups and smaller community organizations than most of my colleagues. A lot of the teaching and work in our field has to do with larger businesses or organizations, but I’m passionate about not-for-profits, ethnic groups, and social movements. I include these topics and examples in all the classes I teach and I find that students really respond to it. I’m always looking to expand students' understanding of the different applications of strategic communication. I also teach some classes directly related to the topic, including Communication Campaigns for Social Change and Engaging Latinx Communities.

What is your favorite part about what you do here at DePaul University?

First, without a doubt, teaching. I have a diverse and motivated group of students who are very passionate about communication, just like me. I love being in the classroom, teaching and learning from my students. Secondly, the opportunities to work and collaborate with people across the university, especially my work with the Latin American and Latino studies faculty, as well as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committees I serve on.

What’s something you're currently reading and enjoying? (This could also be a book that you’ve finished recently if you’re not currently reading anything)

To relax, I read fantasy and romance. I’m on the second book of Naomi Novik’s, The Scholomance series. It has magic, monsters and funny prose. I highly recommend it. The latest non-fiction and academically-related book that really stuck with me was Mikki Kendall’s "Hood Feminism" . Her perspective was very illuminating and spoke to my own understanding of what Feminism should be. It has lessons applicable to any social field. My college is going to lead a campus-wide book discussion of "Hood Feminism" in March, and the Steans Center is bringing her to campus in the Spring, so I am really looking forward to it.

Interview conducted by Graduate Editorial Assistant Amanda Matthews