Richard Canevez
- Assistant Professor, Communication, Culture, & Media, and Humanities
- PhD, Information Science and Technology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
- BA, Philosophy, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Biography
My doctorate is in information sciences and technology from Penn State University, where I studied Indigenous education and telecommunications as a form of empowerment. Prior to my graduate studies, I was a tech entrepreneur, artificial intelligence researcher, and software engineer during which I co-founded a tech startup (SkyPhrase, Inc.) that was eventually purchased by Yahoo! Inc. I have an undergraduate degree in Philosophy with a minor in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.
Prior to coming to Michigan Tech University, I was a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hawaii where I explored the technologization of peace activism and nonviolence, and the use of digital spaces as a space of resistance for pro-Ukrainian cyber-activists against Russia's 2022 escalation of the war against Ukraine.
My scholarly interest takes a broad view towards resistance and activism, including American domestic opposition to right-wing populism and citizen-centric perspectives on resistance to geopolitical aggression. I employ primarily qualitative methods, in particular the use of story (both as reported and reflexively crafted) as a means of communicating science to a broad audience.
Current Projects
The Evolution of Social Media-Based Resistance in the Russia-Ukraine War
The Experiences, Values, and Missions that Underlie Opposition to Right-Wing Populism
Positions Held
- Assistant Professor of Communication, Culture, and Media
- Research Area Lead, Social Media and Society, Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture
Research Interests
- Resistance and Activism
- Politics, Social Media, and Technology
- Peace and Conflict