Mark D West

Mark D West
Professor
The University of North Carolina, USA

Biography

Mark Douglas West was born in 1958 in Asheville, NC, where he attended Enka High School and received a BA in English and Classics from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, performing his student teaching at the Asheville School. He worked in market and public opinion research before returning to the academic world, completing a MAC and Ph.D from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His dissertation, on the role of the media in the formation of public opinion, won two international research awards. Dr. West has authored or co-authored five books, numerous book chapters and articles and juried paper presentations, as well as short fiction pieces. His primary research interest is in the effect of media consumption on the formation of knowledge and belief. He currently teaches in the mass communication department at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, which he chairs.

UNC-Asheville, Asheville, N.C., Professor, Mass Communication, 1998 - present. Teaching duties included communication theory, international mass communication, newswriting, radio production, and related courses. Chair, Mass Communication Department, 2011-2013, 1998-2003. Director, Multimedia Arts and Sciences Program, 1997-1998; Associate Professor of Mass Communication, 1994-1998; Assistant Professor of Mass Communication, 1991-1994; Instructor in Mass Communication, 1988-1991. Responsible for teaching a variety of courses in the field of mass communications; advisor to The Blue Banner, the UNCA student newspaper; responsible for continuing development of program objectives; departmental recruiting liaison; department honors coordinator.