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Photograph of Benjamin Stokes

Benjamin Stokes Associate Professor Communication Studies

Degrees
PhD in Communication, University of Southern California (USC); BA in Physics, Haverford College

Bio
Benjamin Stokes is a civic media scholar, game designer, and director of . He is an associate professor and division director for the School of Communication's Communication Studies division. Benjamin is a fellow at the AU Game Center and the Metropolitan Policy Center.

Previously, Benjamin co-founded Games for Change, the movement hub for advancing social change with games. At the MacArthur Foundation prior to academia, Benjamin was a program officer in their portfolio on Digital Media and Learning. Benjamin has also worked at the UC Berkeley School of Information as a postdoctoral scholar in data science. Design experience in civil society includes leading teams at NetAid/Mercy Corps in global citizenship education.

His recent book is (MIT Press, 2020).

Students considering our PhD Program, MA in Media, Technology and Democracy, or MA/MFA in Game Design and Interactivity are encouraged to be in touch. Recent collaborations with students include projects on neighborhood storytelling networks, place-based games, participatory design, and play that strengthens cities and communities.

See Also
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Teaching

Fall 2024

  • COMM-750 Advanced Media Theory

  • COMM-899 Doctoral Dissertation

Spring 2025

  • COMM-465 Senior Resrch Capstone Seminar

Partnerships & Affiliations