Rianna Walcott

Rianna Walcott is an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Maryland, Associate Director of the Black Communication and Technology (BCaT) Lab, and a former DISCO Network Postdoctoral Fellow. An alumna of the London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP), Dr. Walcott earned her PhD in Digital Humanities at King's College London for her research on Black (and British) communication practices across social media platforms with different demographics, and how different social network service affordances influence how Black users interact. She combines digital research, Black feminist praxis, decolonial studies, arts and culture, and mental health advocacy in her work. 

Dr. Walcott founded projectmyopia.com, a LAHP-funded digital humanities and arts project that promotes inclusivity in academia and decolonised curricula, and was co-editor of 'The Colour of Madness', an anthology about mental health inequities faced by people of colour in Britain. In the time left over, she moonlights as a professional jazz singer.