Thomas Conroy

Thomas Conroy

Biography

Dr. Conroy earned a Ph.D. in Communication from University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1995 and taught at Castleton State College in Vermont for 22 years as a tenured Professor. During that period, he served two terms as Department Chair and was awarded early promotion to full professor and a Vermont State College Fellowship in recognition of research and teaching excellence. In 2011, he received a Distinguished Alumni award from Rhode Island College.

During his time at UMass Amherst, he worked part time as a publicist for the Horticulture Therapy Program at the Northampton Veterans Administration Hospital and won an award in recognition of this effort. His 1995 Ph.D. dissertation focused on the POW/MIA myth and the consequence of that myth for Vietnam Veterans. In addition, he is the co-editor and a contributor to the 2007 Constructing America’s War Culture published by Lexington books and has presented numerous papers at academic conferences.

Research

Popular culture’s influence on social class alienation

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1995
  • MA, Rhode Island College, 1983
  • B.A. Rhode Island College, 1981
  • B.S. Boston University, 1969

Selected Publications

“Saving Jessica Lynch” in Constructing America’s War Culture: Iraq, Media, and the War at Home (2008) Lexington Books (Co-editor)

“Soldiers’ views of War Communication Currents, June 2007

“Battlebabble” Book Review, Z magazine, 19 (2), February, 2006

“Initiatives and Ownership: HDTV and Corporatism in the U.S.”, co-authored with Jarice Hanson,Ph.D., and David Donnelly, M.A. Communication Research December, 1992

“Experimental Design to Measure Effects of Horticulture Therapy”, co-authored with James Azar, Ph.D., Therapeutic Horticulture, Fall, 1989