Katrina Overby Headshot

Katrina Overby

Assistant Professor

School of Communication
College of Liberal Arts

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
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

Katrina is an activist scholar who is interested broadly in media, race, sexuality, and gender. Specifically, her research interests are in: Black Twitter, social media and culture, African American cinema, race and identity in television and popular culture, sports media, and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). She is a native of Indianapolis, IN and received her doctorate from The Media School at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN in August 2019. Her dissertation was titled: Doin' it for the Culture: Defining Blackness, Culture, and Identity on Black Twitter. Katrina received a MS in Mass Communications with a specialization in News Media Management from Oklahoma State University in 2011 and her BA in Mass Communications with a minor in Broadcast Journalism from an HBCU, Rust College, in Holly Springs, MS in 2009.

She has taught several courses at Indiana University, East Tennessee State University (online) and the University of Indianapolis. Some of the courses include: Digital Media Management and Applications, Reporting, Writing, and Editing, Race, Gender, and the Media, Public Speaking, Media and Society, and Social CRM in Digital Media. Additionally, she has served as an Assistant Instructor for Visual Communications, Design and Production, and Media and a Diverse Society. Katrina also worked as a part-time graduate assistant at the Center for Innovation Teaching and Learning (CITL) and the Black Film Center/Archive (BFC/A) at IU.

585-475-2098

Personal Links

Currently Teaching

COMM-201
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-202
3 Credits
The history and development of U.S. media, theoretical aspects of mass communications, the composition of media audiences, law and regulation of mass communications and how the media affect and are affected by society are presented.
COMM-302
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
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.
COMM-716
3 Credits
This course engages students in an analytical and applied exploration of the connection between self, identity, communication, media, and society. Drawing from classical and contemporary readings, as well as current events, the course will address topics such as identity and discourse, performance, intersectionality, and representation. Communication has been central to the development of ideas about collective and individual identities. Therefore, the course encourages students to critically examine the political implications of identity construction in our social world. Finally, the course examines how popular notions of identity function in media texts, corporate settings, and digital environments.

In the News

  • 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. 

  • December 3, 2021

    man in a corn field looking at a stalk.

    Growing faculty diversity

    RIT has modernized its approach to recruiting faculty members to improve representation. Assistant Professor Eli Borrego, pictured above, is an expert in the genetics and biochemistry of plant-microbe and plant-insect communication and ecology, and he was introduced to RIT through the Future Faculty Career Exploration Program.