Paul Skalski

Education:
Ph.D.: Michigan State University, 2004
Master: Cleveland State University, 1999
Undergraduate: Cleveland State University, 1997

Personal Statement:
Paul Skalski joined the UMD Communication faculty at the start of the 2004-2005 academic year after earning a Ph.D. in Communication from Michigan State University. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Paul also received both a B.A. and M.A. in Communication from Cleveland State University.

Paul’s research interests include media effects, new media technologies, video games, and presence, and his work has appeared in journals such as Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media and Communication Research. He teaches courses on media effects, children and the media, video games, new communication technologies, and media research methods.

An avid media fan, Paul’s spare time interests are strikingly similar to his media-centric research and teaching interests. He loves movies (favorites include Freaks, To Kill A Mockingbird, Star Wars, Pulp Fiction, Boogie Nights, and Rushmore) and has been playing video games since “way back in the day” (Colecovision, anyone?).

Representative Research:
Skalski, P. (2004). Interactive social agent and social presence effects on information processing and persuasion. Doctoral Dissertation, Michigan State University.

Tamborini, R. & Skalski, P. (2006). The role of presence in the experience of electronic games. In Vorderer, P. & Bryant, J. (Eds.), Playing video games: Motives, responses, and consequences. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Tamborini, R., Eastin, M., Skalski, P., Lachlan, K., Fediuk, T. & Brady, R. (2004). Violent virtual video games and hostile thoughts. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 48(3), 335-357.

Courses Taught:
Media Effects
Children and Media
Video Game Entertainment
Communication and Technology in the Information Age
Media Theory and Research

Homepage:
http://www.d.umn.edu/~pskalski/

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