Elisa Varela

Elisa is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is a 2010 alumna of MSU Denver’s Department of Communication Studies. Currently, her research focuses on democratic engagement across differences. Broadly, she draws on social interaction and feminist perspectives to dig into questions of discourse, difference, and democracy. In particular, she is interested in how persons in dialogue and deliberation engage in discursive practices that support and limit quality communication across differences and ultimately democratic action. Often times, well-meaning people perpetuate prejudice and polarization and the practical aim of Elisa’s research is to support responsible, accountable, and critically reflexive communication practice that contributes to social change. As a member of the Alumni Board at MSU Denver, Elisa is committed to putting into practice the democratic values that ground her research through various MSU Denver community-focused projects.