By: Natalie Jones
Michelle E. Shaw is a Nashville native who recently joined Belmont’s Communication Studies Department.
Professor Shaw earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Journalism; a Master of Divinity, with a concentration in ethics and homiletics; and a Master of Theology, with a concentration in homiletics. Currently she is a doctoral candidate in Rhetoric and Public Culture at Northwestern University. She said she was drawn to Belmont because of its “wonderful fellows program which enables junior scholars to get valuable teaching experience.” This semester she will be teaching First-Year Seminar, commonly known as FYS, and Fundamentals of Speech Communication, COM 1100. In the spring, she’ll teach COM 4200 Communication Criticism.
When asked what her first impression of Belmont has been so far, Professor Shaw said “the flexibility of students, staff, and faculty has been amazing.” She shared that she has enjoyed working with people who are “imaginative and willing to share ideas.” When asked what her favorite thing about the COM department was, she responded, “I love my new colleagues! I’m getting to know the students, and I’m sure I will love them too.” She said that the Communication Studies Department faculty has been “absolutely wonderful to her” as she settles into Belmont.
Professor Shaw’s first year involved extra challenges and regulations due to Covid-19. She mentioned that there is a big difference between meeting with colleagues and students online versus meeting in person, and this comes with its own challenges. Although she says not all of the activities she would like to do in a physical classroom translate well to the virtual classroom, “it has been easier than she thought.”
Professor Shaw is finishing her doctoral dissertation which, as she described, “aims to examine the intersection of race and gender in the pedagogical development of Black women who teach preaching.” During her free time, you can find her baking, sewing, singing, or practicing photography.
We are excited to have Professor Shaw on board and know that she will be a great addition to the Belmont family!