Katrina Overby Headshot

Katrina Overby

Assistant Professor

School of Communication
College of Liberal Arts
kmogpt@rit.edu
585-475-2098
Office Hours
Monday: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Office Location
EAS-3200
Office Mailing Address
George Eastman Building 1 Lomb Memorial Dr, Rochester, NY 14623 Office #3200

Katrina Overby

Assistant Professor

School of Communication
College of Liberal Arts

Bio

Dr. Katrina M. Overby is an activist scholar whose research centers Black feminist thought, media studies, and critical cultural communication. Her work explores Black digital cultures and communities—particularly how Black women use social media, storytelling, and placemaking as strategies for belonging, resistance, and care. She is especially interested in how digital and in-person spaces serve as sites for Black women’s communal connection and sisterhood.

Her scholarship has been published in Gatherings, the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, and the Journal of Sports Media, in addition to publishing book chapters in several edited books. She is also the co-editor of a recent special issue in Feminist Pedagogy, and is committed to examining and cultivating engaged pedagogy within communication education.

In 2025, Dr. Overby was honored with the 2024-2025 Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Faculty Pluralism Award at RIT for her contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion through her scholarship, service, and community engagement.

A proud native of Indianapolis, Indiana, she holds a Ph.D. in Journalism from Indiana University, an M.S. in Mass Communications and Media Management from Oklahoma State University, and a B.A. in Mass Communications and Broadcast Journalism from Rust College, an HBCU in Holly Springs, Mississippi.

Dr. Overby is currently the Vice Chair of the African American Communication and Culture Division (AACCD) of the National Communication Association (NCA). Additionally, she serves on the editorial board for Gatherings journal. 

Recent Publications: 

The Mini Syllabus: Locating and Engaging with Black Women in Popular Culture published in Feminist Pedagogy

Breaking Bread with Storyworlding Methodology: Black feminist/womanist Commentary on Unearthing Communal Lifeworlds published in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education

The Familiar Feels Like Family: A Black Feminists' Approach to Placemaking and Gathering for Black Women in the Academy published in Gatherings

kmogpt@rit.edu
585-475-2098
Personal Links
Personal Website
ORCID
Google Scholar

Currently Teaching

COMM-201
Public Speaking
3 Credits
The public speaking course is designed to equip the student with knowledge of the theories and principles necessary for formal public speaking. Informative and persuasive speeches are the focus with emphasis on organization, evidence, language use, strategy, delivery, and effective use of media aids. Public speaking is generally offered each semester.
COMM-302
Interpersonal Communication
3 Credits
Interpersonal communication provides analysis and application of the major theories of interpersonal communication in various situations. The course focuses on perception of self and others, language use, nonverbal communication, and symbolic interaction in the communication of shared meanings in face-to-face and mediated interpersonal relationships. There is a strong focus on both conflict management and intercultural interactions.
COMM-342
Communication Law and Ethics
3 Credits
This course examines major principles and trends in communication law. The course analyzes a broad range of issues related to the First Amendment, intellectual property, and media regulation. Special attention is paid to discussing the major ethical perspectives and issues surrounding contemporary communication behavior.

In the News

  • April 25, 2024

    I voted sticker and checkmark.

    Informed voting in the age of artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the election—globally. To help voters navigate these advancements in social media, deepfakes, manipulated images, and cybersecurity, a few RIT experts are weighing in.

  • October 2, 2023

    a photo of women gathered in front of the tait preserve during the sisters connect writing retreat in september

    RIT Faculty Host Inaugural Sister Scholars Connect Writing Retreat

    Only two percent of full professors at US colleges and universities are Black women, according to National Center for Education Statistics data, and Black faculty as a whole make up about six percent of all faculty. During the Sister Scholars Connect Writing Retreat held last month at RIT’s Tait Preserve, more than 30 Black women faculty from throughout the region met for a day of scholarly writing, collaboration, mentoring, and support. 

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