Yonty (Jonathan) Friesem

I am an Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication, Columbia College Chicago and the Associate Director of the Media Education Lab. My work and research in media literacy focus on the opportunities to improve cognitive, social, and emotional skills of students and teachers in formal and informal settings. I received my PhD in Media Education from the joint doctoral program in Education at the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College.

As an award winning filmmaker, I founded two media departments in high school in Israel while being a board member of the national media production curriculum. After moving to the USA for my doctoral studies, I worked with at-risk students on the different media literacy curriculum I designed.

My current research evaluates the process of digital empathy as a mediated experience being a media producer. Using, F2F, CMC, and video production technique, I explore how media production enhances students’ and teachers' self-regulation, executive functioning, and empathy.

For more information, see Friesem Resume