Aniyah Smith, Asst. Arts & Life Editor
Dr. Kathryn Hartzell joined Denison this year as an assistant professor of communications and media studies. She earned her Ph. D from the University of Texas at Austin in 2026 and her master’s degree from Georgetown University.
Her research looks at how the English Premier League, the highest level soccer league in England, is distributed and marketed in India, a former British colony. Drawing on promotional media and interviews with marketers, she argues that distribution itself is a form of production, creating new branded con`ent it in a global studies seminar, “Marketing the English Premier League in India,” on Nov. 16 in Olin Science Hall.
After spending time at larger schools, Hartzell wanted a different type of campus.
“I was really excited about the idea of being at a small liberal arts college,” Hartzell said. She wanted a place that’s more personal, with smaller classroom sizes where you can really get to know people. So far, she is very pleased with her time at Denison.
“Everybody here is so nice. The students are fantastic,” she said.
Hartzell teaches Media Structures and Global Communication, which examine what shapes and drives media.
“We go over a lot of how the media industries work and sort of think through who makes media, who has access to media, and how larger forces like economics, technology and particularly governmental power shape what we know about other places in the world,” she said.
Before teaching, Hartzell worked in international relations in Washington, D.C. and in capital markets consulting at PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City. She also researched civic education in the United States.
“I spent a lot of time working before I decided to be an academic. So a lot of diverse experience before I came to be a professor of media studies.”
Outside of class, Hartzell is a devoted Liverpool supporter.
“I enjoy watching Liverpool win and hate watching them lose.”