Education
- Ph.D. in Media and Communication Studies from the University of Oregon
- MS in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania
- MSc in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan
- BSc in Economics and Management from the University of London
Biography
Originally from Pakistan, Farah came as a Fulbright scholar to the US to pursue her master’s in social policy from the University of Pennsylvania and later earned a doctorate in Media and Communication Studies from the University of Oregon. Farah’s professional experience straddles diverse contexts such as working as an Assistant Director in Finance and International Trade at the State Bank of Pakistan, as a strategic communication specialist for a grass-roots community improvement foundation, and as a communication intern at the United Nations Secretariat, New York. Farah has served on the advisory board of University of Oregon’s Counseling Centre, where she was engaged in advocacy of mental health among first-generation, non-traditional, and other underrepresented identities on the campus. In addition to this, she significantly contributed to the diversity and inclusion mission of the university in the capacity of diversity and inclusion graduate employee.
Farah’s research is positioned at the intersection of strategic communication, health communication, globalization, and culture. The mission of her research is to empower people to achieve their fullest potential in a sustainable manner, while embracing and celebrating their social identities. She has worked extensively with Rehearsals for Life, a joint project between the UO Graduate School and the Office of the Dean of Students that employs storytelling to address issues of race, diversity, and social justice.
Courses Taught
- Principles of Public Relations
- Strategic Brand Communication
- Crisis Communication
- Strategic Communication Research Methods
- Creative Advertising Principles
- Public Relations Management
- Global Media, Mass Media Workshop
Recent Publications:
- Azhar, F & Khan, K.L. (2024). Unpacking the Conversational User Interface: The Impact of Design Choices on Users’ Experience and Relatability. In Proceedings of the 42nd ACM International Conference on the Design of Communication (SIGDOC’ 24). Association for Computing Machinery.
- Azhar, F. & Khan, K.L. (2023). “FemTech and taboo topics: Raaji as a tool for educating women in Pakistan.” In L.A. Balfour (Ed.), FemTech: Intersectional Interventions in Women’s Digital Health.
- Azhar, F. (2022). Between Tradition and Modernity: Representation of Women in Family Planning Campaigns in Pakistan. International Journal of Communication, 16, 21.
- Azhar, F., Vannini, S., Newell, B. C., & Gomez, R. (2021). Navigating borders/navigating networks: migration, technology and social capital. In the Research Handbook on International Migration and Digital Technology (pp. 92-106). Edward Elgar Publishing.
