Communications scholar to join Newhouse as part of Social Differences, Social Justice cluster hire

Hector Rendon, a communications scholar with expertise in media and diversity, will join the faculty of the Newhouse School this summer as an assistant professor of communications.

“Dr. Rendon represents our commitment to the research and study of diversity and communications,” says Mark J. Lodato, dean of the Newhouse School. “He is the first of what will be many exciting news additions to the Newhouse School faculty in 2021.”

Rendon has developed a portfolio of academic research focused on issues related to critical race studies, intercultural communication and ethnic relations through media, with research projects exploring concepts of media representations of minorities, racialization, interdisciplinary collaboration and media reliability. He also has a background in data analytics and social network analysis.

Rendon joins the faculty as part of Syracuse University’s Cluster Hires Initiative, which brings new faculty for interdisciplinary teaching and research, while promoting collaborations among existing faculty in a broad spectrum of disciplines. His hire is part of the Social Differences, Social Justice cluster, focusing on media and diversity.

“Hector has an interesting background and brings a wealth of experiences to the cluster and to Newhouse,” says Brad Gorham, chair of the communications department. “We are very excited to welcome such a versatile scholar.”

Rendon has earned more than $300,000 in grants, including a recent $82,000 grant to research the impact of media discourses on social relations, especially in terms of ethnic and racial tensions. He is also working to develop data analytics models that can assess the reliability of media outlets and the narratives they produce. In addition, Rendon is exploring media representations of indigenous populations in North America and Latin America.

Rendon comes to Newhouse from Ryerson University in Toronto, where he is an assistant professor in the RTA School of Media. He was previously at Texas Tech University, where he was an assistant professor in the College of Media and Communication and assistant director of the Harris Institute for Hispanic and International Communication. He has taught courses in multimedia and digital media production, international media industries, media audiences and cross-cultural communication. He also spent almost a decade working as a television correspondent, reporter and news editor. Currently, he is the anchor of the podcast series “Latino Book Review Presents,” a project focused on showcasing the work of Latinx communities across the U.S.

He is the author of several peer-reviewed articles and three books, including the recent “Mañana me amarás” (Instituto Sinaloense de Cultura, 2021). He is fluent in Spanish and English, and has a working knowledge of Russian, German and French.

Rendon holds a Ph.D. in communication, rhetoric, and digital media from North Carolina State University; an M.A. in digital media from Hochschule für Künste in Bremen, Germany; and a B.A. in communication and journalism from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.