Dr. Arthur Soto-Vásquez

In a classic case of "better late than never", this episode of the Inside JMS podcast features a conversation with the School's newest (but not-so-new) tenure-track faculty member, Dr. Arthur Soto-Vasquez. After a year-and-a-half of working for the School of Journalism and Media Studies, hosts Kevin Stoker and Dave Nourse finally get their act together and arrange for an interview with this proud Texan. We learn how Arthur's initial interest in politics led him to study Political Science, but a budding interest in the interplay between politics and media ultimately led him to doctoral work at the American University School of Communication in Washington DC. Arthur shares how his initial work studying what mobilizes the Latino population to vote has been supplemented by a variety of other interests including influencers, artificial intelligence, and pop culture. He also shares insights into his teaching philosophy, his approach to adapting coursework in the age of AI, and why he encourages students to think of their careers less as a linear path and more as an open-world experience .Along the way, the conversation touches on Arthur’s Texas roots, his appreciation for some bombastic musical theater, and the personal interests that shape both his scholarship and his classroom.