While pursuing her master’s degree, Nisha Sridharan became curious about different problems in the practice of journalism; soon, she realized she could help news organizations by solving them.
She joined the Cronkite School’s doctoral program to do just that. She not only found some answers—she developed a research agenda focused on media access and equity—but she also found inspiration in her interactions with professors, students and peers. Now, she’s beginning an assistant professorship at Temple University.
Sridharan will receive the Outstanding Doctoral Scholar award at the Cronkite School’s Fall 2024 Convocation ceremony; ahead of that, she shared with us what made her time at Cronkite special.
Note: The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Question: Why did you choose ASU?
Sridharan: I met with the program leaders, and they hosted a meeting with faculty members whose research I was particularly interested in. That was the driving factor in choosing ASU.
Q: Which professors taught you the most important lessons in your time at ASU?
A: Two people were very instrumental in my journey at ASU. One is my Ph.D. adviser, Dr. Dawn Gilpin. Everything I know in terms of how to do research and do it effectively came from her. She was not just a mentor, but she’s also a really good friend, a sounding board and always available whenever I needed anything. Next is Melanie Alvarez, who was the first professor I worked with as a TA. She taught me about becoming an efficient teacher, making emotional connections with students and helping them out wherever needed. And so many more helped me along the way.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you’d give to graduate students?
A: Make the relationships matter when you’re in school. Every single person you meet, every single person you talk to, has something that you can learn from. Making sure that you’re open to constantly learning from every interaction you’re having and being open-minded to what people have to say—even if you don’t agree with them—is important.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: I’m an assistant professor at Temple University. I teach two courses per semester on alternative news media, as well as journalism innovation and design. And then, I get to mentor grad and undergrad students, and also work with Ph.D. students to do research.
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?
A: Make sure that people have a better understanding of how to consume information, and make sure that journalism is more sustainable and more favorable to people from different walks of life. Ensuring all voices are heard and represented, but at the same time, trying to build journalism in a way that people have trust in it again, and thinking about ways to make it more sustainable in our changing environment.