Julie Frechette, Ph.D., is Professor of Communication at Worcester State University and an award-winning scholar specializing in media studies and feminist studies. Her book, Media Education for a Digital Generation, provides a framework for developing critical digital literacies by exploring the necessary skills and competencies for engaging students as citizens of the digital world. She is the co-editor and co-author of the book Media in Society, as well as numerous articles and book chapters on media literacy, critical cultural studies, and gender and media. Her book, Developing Media Literacy in Cyberspace, was among the first to explore the multiple literacies approach for the digital age. Her most recent publications explore the impact of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements on pop culture and politics. She has contributed chapters in the edited volumes Gender, Race, and Class in Media (2020); Gender and Media: A Reference Handbook (2022); and New Media Technology and the Motion Picture Industry (2014), each of which offers critical insights into equity and representation in media landscapes. Her research has been presented nationally as well as internationally in Bergen Norway, London, Prague, Vienna, Rome, Lisbon, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. 

Julie formerly served as WSU Department of Communication chair, director of the Center for Community Media, director of Women’s Studies, and co-director and founder of the Center for Teaching and Learning. In 2020, she was invited by Worcester State’s president to serve as the university’s senior lead and co-chair of the strategic planning committee.

Julie earned her doctorate and master’s degree in Communication from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where she studied media literacy and critical cultural studies, and was the recipient of the International Communication Association Award for Graduate Teaching. She holds a bachelor of arts in Communication from the University of New Hampshire, Durham where she was an undergraduate research fellow and the recipient of the Communication Department’s highest student award.