Lauren Rouse 

How would you describe your research and/or work to a non-academic audience? 
My research examines how fans with marginalized identities (mostly disabled folks) interact with one another on social media platforms and interact with traditional forms of media (like television, books, or movies) that is about their identities. 

What have been some of the most memorable twists and turns of your career? 
I initially wanted to be a medievalist when I decided to go to graduate school but found more of a home in digital media. 

 Tell us what inspired your research and/or work. 
As an undergraduate, I was student teaching in a seventh/eighth grade English classroom in central Indiana. I had a student who would share their fan fiction that they wrote with me to help them edit grammar or spelling issues. It was a great connection between the two of us and sparked my interest in how skills learned in school could help students with media literacy in their online reading habits. 
 
What is a mistake you have learned from in your career? 
I haven't made any mistakes! I definitely think everything that has quote "gone wrong" has still been a really beneficial learning experience. 
 
Whom do you admire in your field and otherwise, and why? 
Dr. Mel Stanfill; my PhD adviser. I went to my program specifically to work with them, and their work in fan studies has helped me expand to many new research experiences. 
Also Dr. Sami Schalk; while not in fan studies, Dr. Schalk has expanded a lot of my work into examining the intersections of race and disability, particularly how disability is written on Black bodies. 
 
What do you find both rewarding and challenging about your research and/or work? 
Researching the internet is really hard, especially when so much of our lives revolve around using social media platforms, discussing and sharing identities online, etc. It sometimes gets really overwhelming to study this and then have no "off-switch." I had to get really intentional about setting boundaries during my PhD. 
 
What is the biggest potential impact or implication of your work? 
Examining fandoms allows us language to discuss movements outside of traditional media; for example, alt-right communities have a lot of implicit connections to fandom spaces, and by using familiar language, we can better understand how these communities are formed, circulate, grow, change, and end. It also can give us a better understanding of how identities are formed, how they change overtime, and how societal understandings about them change throughout history. 
 
Why Northwestern? 
I've been a Chicagoland local all my life and look really good in purple. 
 
How do you unwind after a long day? 
Playing videogames, snuggling with my cats, and listening to vinyl records. 
 
What books are on your bedside table? 
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones 
Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur 
 
What inspires you? 
My mom, people involving themselves in their local communities to affect change, whenever my students get really into a project. 
 
How would your closest friends describe you? 
Funny, intelligent, caring 
 
What did you originally want to be when you grew up? 
A kidney doctor (I hate the sight of blood and body stuff freaks me out) 
 
What advice would you give your younger self or someone considering a similar path? 
Setting boundaries is very important. Academia likes to disregard boundaries at every turn. Be firm in them, don't let someone else dictate how your time and energy should be spent. Learn to stand up for yourself, and support your colleagues when they need someone. Join your union! 
  
What are you most proud of in your career to date? 
Finishing my PhD! 
 

Published Date: May 01, 2026