Helena Vanhala, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Media Arts (Media Arts) Department Head, Media Arts (Media Arts)
vanhala@rmu.edu 412-397-6202 phone (M) 412-397-6469 fax Wheatley Center 313

Educational Background

• Ph.D. in Communication and Society, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon
• M.A. in English Philology, University of Tampere, Finland
• B.A. in English Philology, University of Tampere, Finland

Professional Background

• freelance journalist
• Director, Center for Global Engagement, Robert Morris University, January 2013-July 2014
• Chair, International Division, Broadcast Education Association, 2013-2015
• Vice-Chair, International Division, Broadcast Education Association, 2011-2013
• Assistant Professor of Media Studies, Division of Communication, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
• Education Committee Board Member of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association
• Graduate Teaching Fellow, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon
• Graduate Teaching Fellow, Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, University of Oregon
• Program Coordinator of North American Studies Program, University of Tampere, Finland

Area of Expertise/Research

• terrorism and media
• film history and film theory
• film and international politics
• TV and video production
• international communication
• international journalism
• intercultural communication
• critical political economy
• cultural studies

Publications

• The Depiction of Terrorists in Blockbuster Hollywood Films, 1980-2001. An Analytical Study.
  Jefferson, NC & London: McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-7864-3662-0
• "Terrorism no longer sells in Hollywood," guest editorial, Helsingin Sanomat, Finland, 2011 (original in Finnish: "Terrorismi ei enaa myy Hollywoodissa")
• "Civil Society Under Siege: Terrorism and Government Response to Terrorism in The Siege," Jump Cut 50, Spring 2008

Presentations

• 2011 - "The Hollywood Men of Action-Adventure," Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, NV
• 2010 - "Studying International Communication and Broadcast Media in Finland: From the Midnight Sun Film Festival and Broadcast Media Visits to Sauna and Santa's Reindeer," Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, NV
• 2009 - "Ethics and Hollywood Counterterrorism: Propaganda for Defining Terrorism as War," Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, NV
• 2008 - "Hollywood's War on Terror," Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, NV
• 2007 - "International News Coverage versus National Security in the Age of Modern International Terrorism," Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, NV
• 2007 - "Arab Terrorism versus Northern Irish Terrorism in Hollywood Films," International Association of Mass Communication Research, Paris, France
• 2006 - "International News: A Commodity of Cultural Convergence," Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, NV
• 2005 - "Killing Them Softly? Producing Hollywood Action-Adventure Films for the Global Market," Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, NV
• 2004 - "Modern Terrorism: A Western News Commodity," Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, NV
• 2004 - "The Concept of Terrorism: War over Meaning," Union for Democratic Communications, St. Louis, MO
• 2003 - "Fast, Cheap and in Control: DV in Video Field Production Courses," Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, NV
• 2002 - "September 11: When Reality Imitated Fiction," Union for Democratic Communications, State College, PA
• 2001 - "Hollywood Action Films on Modern Terrorism: From Moneymakers to Too Hot to Handle," Communication & Social Change, Northwest Graduate Student Conference, Eugene, OR
• 2001 - "Saving the West from the Barbaric Rest: Selling Terrorism in Hollywood Style," Union for Democratic Communications, Ottawa, Canada
• 2000 - "Terrorism Goes to Hollywood: Representation of Terrorism in the 20th Century Fox Feature Film "The Siege"," Power, Democracy and Communication Conference, Vancouver, Canada

Schedule of Courses
Schedule Book for All Active and Available Future Terms, Helena

Spring 2015 Course-Section Time Days Loc Instructor Session Seats ARTM0400-A 11:45-01:35 PM W M Vanhala 1 (01/12-05/02/15) 2 Seats ARTM3870-A 01:45-04:35 PM T M Vanhala 1 (01/12-05/02/15) 12 Seats