Dr. Stephenson Whitestone
Assistant Professor
Office Location
TBD
Office Telephone
TBD
Email Address
Courses
- Introduction to Public Speaking (COMS 101)
- Communication Theory (COMS 206)
Education
- Ph.D. Communication, University of California, Santa Barbara (2022)
- M.S. Radio, Television, & Film, Syracuse University (1987)
- B.S. Marketing, University of Massachusetts (1982)
Notes
Dr. Stephenson Brooks Whitestone (she/her) joined the Communication Studies faculty as a full-time lecturer in Fall 2024. Her research centers on the phenomenon of discrimination after death. She particularly focuses on the manner in which trans/non-binary individuals are de-transitioned by their loved ones after death. Her research illuminates similar acts of post-mortem identity distortion, disrespect, and disappearance among other marginalized populations as well.
Stephenson’s work has been presented several times at communication conventions and she is a founding member of NCA’s Death and Dying Division. Her work has been published in journals such as Human Communication Research, International Journal of Communication, Sociological Inquiry, and Whatever: A Transdisciplinary Journal of Queer Theories and Studies. Before coming to SLO, Stephenson taught at Santa Clara University and Santa Barbara City College. She received awards for teaching excellence (as a teaching assistant) at both UC Santa Barbara and Syracuse University.