The Best Dissertation Award for 2020 goes to Dr. Elisabetta Ferrari’s dissertation, “The Technological Imaginaries of Social Movements: The Discursive Dimension of Communication Technology and the Fight for Social Justice?” Dr. Ferrari’s study investigates the construction and role of technological imaginaries of social movements in three different countries – the US, Italy, and Hungary, through a multi-method qualitative approach.
This is an extremely well-written dissertation that tackles a timely and pressing social issue. Dr. Ferrari’s work stands out for its conceptual clarity, structure of argumentation and readability. It makes a clear contribution to the existing body of knowledge with new conceptual avenues and methodological innovation. The Committee also found the multicultural dimension particularly appealing, contributing more diversity to scholarly debates in the spirits of AoIR.
Congratulations, Dr Ferrari!
The Committee has also recognized Dr. Fernanda Rosa’s dissertation “Global Internet Interconnection Infrastructure: Materiality, Concealment and Surveillance in Contemporary Communication?” with an Honorable Mention.
AoIR is grateful for the hard work by this year’s Best Dissertation Award committee: Dr. Carmen Lee, Chair, Dr. Jessica Beyer, Dr. Taina Bucher, and Dr. Aljosha Karim Schapals, for their hard work in the review process.
