Alyssa Sambor

Education

• PhD Candidate in Communication, University of Washington
• M.A. in Communication Studies, Texas Tech University
• B.S. in History, Northern Arizona University

Alyssa has over eight years of experience teaching Communication courses in higher education. She got her start through her participation in speech and debate as an undergraduate and has over a decade of applied experience in public speaking. She strives to create a classroom environment that helps students develop their own sense of voice and that encourages students to become informed self and community advocates. Over the course of her career Alyssa has taught a variety of courses, including Intro to Media Studies, Rhetorical Criticism, Interpersonal Communication, and Media Production.

Alyssa's teaching is also informed by her experiences as a researcher and a professional. While at the University of Washington, she had a chance to work with K-12 community partners to interview students and teachers about their experiences with the shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also worked with the Emergency Management team at the University of Washington to produce materials to provide guidance for students, staff, and faculty during campus emergencies. In her own research, Alyssa studies U.S. communication around migration and the ways that common rhetorical tropes shape our political and infrastructural landscapes related to migrant detention and deportation.

Personal Interests

When she isn't in the classroom, you can find Alyssa enjoying a good book, a scary movie, or outside hiking. As someone with a background in Media Studies and Visual Communication, Alyssa is always excited to chat about pop culture with people who stop by her office.