Meet Nadav Lipkin, Ph.D., assistant professor of communications.
What is your education and professional background?
I am a lifelong academic. I received my bachelor’s degree in English at Boston University, my master’s degree in English at Rutgers University - Newark, and my Ph.D. in communication and Information at Rutgers University - New Brunswick. I have been teaching and tutoring students at the college level for a decade now.
What courses do you teach?
I teach Human Communication, which is a great survey course about how people communicate in society and culture.
I also teach a number of courses for the Communication, Media and Technology major. That includes Communication in Organizations, which is all about the ways people interact in collaborative work environments, and Communications Theory, Research and Criticism, which explores the different research and critical perspectives used in communications.
I also teach Mass Media and Digital Communication, which looks at the history and current events in media industries like film, television and radio.
The class I am most excited to teach, though, is Intro to Game Studies. The class explores exciting topics around games and culture, and it asks students to look at games the way you might look at a book in an English class, in addition to looking closely at the games industry in general. It is a really exciting course that students have really enjoyed.
Tell us about your approach to teaching and how you incorporate real-world experiences.
I think teaching is all about applying complicated ideas to the world we live in. Whenever possible, I find ways to get students looking at themselves and their environments with fresh perspectives.
For the Communication in Organizations course, for example, students work together to visit real organizations and interview workers and managers, presenting their findings through the lens of the course readings and concepts. It really serves to drive home the idea that what goes on in class doesn’t just stay there.
What brought you to La Roche?
La Roche offers me an amazing opportunity to do what I love most, which is teach in a close and supportive environment. Coming from much larger schools, I was really refreshed by how students and faculty have a chance to work closely to achieve the best outcomes.
La Roche’s diverse student body is important to me as well. The diversity of experiences and backgrounds not only makes students better in the long run, but also enriches me by helping me expand my own horizons.