Rocky "Rocco" Sulfridge, Ph.D.
Teaching Areas:
CommunicationBiography and Education
Dr. Rocco Sulfridge has been teaching communication courses at the University of Michigan-Dearborn since 1997 and has additionally held position at Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College. His primary teaching focuses are Communication Theory, Public Address, Small Group Dynamics and Interpersonal Communication. Prior to his academic career, he served in the military as part of the 381st Medical Detachment and the 323rd Combat Support Hospital.
Dr. Sulfridge’s scholarly and creative interests focus on LGBTQ communities, their identity development and online discourse. In his applied work he examines inclusive pedagogy, academic service-learning and small group communication. He has presented his research at numerous national and regional communication conferences.
Education
Ph.D., Communication Studies, Wayne State University
M.A., Communication Studies, Eastern Michigan University
B.A., Comprehensive Communication & Theatre Arts, Eastern Michigan University
B.A., Psychology, Eastern Michigan University
Teaching and Research
Research
Recent conference presentations include:
- Communicating Death with Humor: Pulling Plugs and Planting Trees
- The Discourses of Hierarchy, Stigma, and Stratification in Gay Male Communities
- From Stonewall to Grindr: Straight Acting, Sissyphobia, and Troubled Masculinity
- Adolescent Sexual Minorities’ Information Seeking and Sexual Identity Development: Internet, Popular Culture and Website Usage
- Building the LGBT Academic Community: Bridging and Communicating Identity and Experience
- Service-Learning Reflection as a Dynamic for Small Group Communication