Pratiksha Menon, a recent graduate of the Communication and Media PhD program, has been awarded the Best Dissertation Award by the Global Communication and Social Change Division of the International Communication Association (ICA).

This prestigious and highly competitive award is a remarkable recognition of the global relevance and scholarly excellence of Pratiksha’s dissertation. The award committee described her work as:

“A cutting-edge tour de force in the study of digital media and political culture... shedding light on the mechanisms through which digital cultures sustain and legitimize authoritarian political projects, offering a crucial lens for policymakers, journalists, and civil society actors seeking to counter disinformation and extremism online.”

They further praised the global significance of her research:

“Escaping the clutches of media centrism and its rootedness in the West, Menon’s dissertation shows us that a truly global communication studies – across the subfields of digital studies, political communication, feminist media studies, and popular media and culture – can and must be central to understanding our digital present and future.”

Congratulations, Pratiksha!