Elise Assaf is an assistant professor in the Department of Communications, primarily teaching public relations and entertainment courses in the undergraduate communications program. Elise completed her Ph.D. in Education at Chapman University and holds a M.A. in Communications and a B.A. in Communications, emphasis in public relations, from Cal State Fullerton.

Elise’s research interests combine her communications and disability studies backgrounds, looking at representations of mental health in media. Her work focuses on qualitative methods, including content analysis and critical discourse analysis of texts in order to understand linguistic elements and sources of power.

An award-winning public relations practitioner, Elise has worked with clients in the fields of healthcare and lifestyle. Her professional experience has included executive positions at PR agencies as well as in-house, running media campaigns for physicians, health plans, hospitals, medical practices, real estate investors, nonprofits, interior design, and alcohol retailers, among others.

Select Publications

Assaf, E. , James, J., & Danforth, S. (2021). The politics of the Hero's Journey: A narratology of American special education textbooks. Disability Studies Quarterly, 41(2).

Assaf, E. , Brophy, S., James, J., & Mathur, S. K. (2017). An analysis of literature on disability and fear through life. Anastamos, 1(1), 32-49.

Select Conference Presentations

Lance, Z., and Assaf, E. (2022). Revisiting university email as a crisis communication tactic. Paper presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Midwinter Conference. Virtual.

Assaf, E. (2021). Hidden, Authoritative Power in Journalistic Representations of Mental Health Labels. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Conference. Virtual.

Assaf, E. (2020). Mental health as a burden: Journalistic representations of mental illness on family, society, and the individual. Paper presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference. Virtual.

Swanson, D.J, and Assaf, E. (2019). University student-run communications agencies on the World Wide Web: Presentations of strategy, creativity, and professionalism. Paper presented at the Public Relations Society of America Annual Conference. San Diego, CA.

Assaf, E. (2018). Comparing age and nationality: NBC’s online portrayal of female Olympic figure skaters. Paper accepted at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference. Washington, DC

Assaf, E. (2018). Perpetuating stereotypes: Newspaper headlines covering stories of individuals with mental health diagnoses. Paper presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Midwinter Conference. Norman, OK.