Lesley Stevenson studies the intersections of labor and identity in the media and entertainment industries, particularly at the early-career level. Her current project explores pathways to elite jobs via entry-level roles like intern- and assistantships and asks what skills, behaviors, and knowledge it takes to advance through these career pipelines. In both research and pedagogy, Lesley leverages her prior experience working for companies like NBCUniversal and Creative Artists Agency to make dynamic connections between theory and practice that bring media studies and history to life. As a teacher, she strives to make each student a more conscientious creator and consumer of the media products that pervade their everyday lives.
Lesley received her Ph.D. and MA in Media & Cultural Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her BA in Film, Television, & Theatre and American Studies from the University of Notre Dame.
