Books and Chapters
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. “Media Framing of Intersex Athletes in Namibia.” Media in Africa. Routledge (forthcoming 2023).
- Lesinski, Shaylynn, Tammy Rae Matthews, and Kelly Drumright. “Pushing Back: Empowering Birthing Bodies Online. How Blogs and Podcasts are Challenging Biocertified Discourses of Pregnancy and Birth.” Digital Performative Assemblies: Feminist Protest and Resistance. Lexington (forthcoming 2023).
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. “Publicity maven, social-justice defender and former altar boy: Mr. Gay Namibia decolonizes the gay beauty pageant and the world.” Drag in the Digital Global Public Sphere. Abington, Routledge (June 2022).
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. “Prof. Aashish Kumar in conversation with Tammy Rae Matthews;” “Tessa Ratuszynska in conversation with Tammy Rae Matthews.” Interactive Documentary: Decolonizing Practice-Based Research, Edited by Kathleen M. Ryan and David Staton (With editorial assistance from Tammy Rae Matthews). Abington, Routledge (March 2022).
Academic Conferences
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. The Archeology of Storytelling: Namibian Media Professionals on Pre-Independence, Post-Independence, Sport & Beyond. ICA Africa Regional Conference. (11/2023)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Conducting Oral Histories about LGBTIQ+ People in Namibia. ICA Africa Regional Conference. (11/2023)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. The Status of Transgender & Nonbinary Athletes in Namibia, Africa. ICA Africa Regional Conference. (11/2023)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Women’s Faculty Moving Forward: Taking the Lead pre-conference. Sponsored by the AEJMC Commission on the Status of Women, the Kopenhaver Center and the AEJMC Council of Affiliates. 106th Annual Conference Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). (8/2023)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Namibian Oral Histories on Intersexuality in Sport. 73rd Annual Conference International Communication Association (ICA). Sport Communication Interest Group (SCIG). (5/2023)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Theorizing Queer Punctum. 73rd Annual Conference International Communication Association (ICA). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer Division. (5/2023)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Queering Namibian Sport: A Summary. 56th Annual Meeting of the Oral History Association (OHA). (10/2022)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Queering Namibian Sport: An Oral History. 72nd Annual Conference International Communication Association (ICA). Sport Communication Interest Group (SCIG). (5/2022)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae and Tara Grace Walker. Indigenous Representations in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: The Nepantla Space In Between “Jacqueline” And “Jackie Lynn.” Society for Cinema & Media Studies (virtual). (3/2021)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Research on Namibia in a Physically Distant Age. Sociologists for Women in Society (SWS) Virtual Winter Meeting. (1/2021)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Queering Sport Media: The Frames of Dr. Renée Richards in Sports Illustrated. 70th Annual Conference International Communication Association (ICA) (virtual). (5/2020)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Queering Namibian Sport. 11th International Conference on Sport & Society (cancelled due to COVID-19). (6/2020)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae and Tara Grace Walker. Indigenous Representations in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: The Nepantla Space In Between “Jacqueline” And “Jackie Lynn.” Imagined Borders, Epistemic Freedoms Conference. (1/2020)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae and Kelly Drumright. “As a White Person...”: Performances of Whiteness and Discourses of Settler Colonialism on Social Media. Imagined Borders, Epistemic Freedoms Conference. (1/2020)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Mr. Gay Namibia Decolonizes the Gay Beauty Pageant and the World: An Oral History. An Academic Analysis of a Publicity Maven, a Social-Justice Defender and a Former Altar Boy. 53rd Annual Meeting of the Oral History Association. (10/2019)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. If You Want to Play, You Can Play: Researcher Teams Up with You Can Play Project to Develop Youth Program. 10th International Conference on Sport & Society. (6/2019)
- Staton, David and Tammy Rae Matthews. Sports from the Margins: Agency, Ownership, Identity and Intersectionality. 2019 Inclusive Sports Summit. (2/2019)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae, Cavender Salvadori and Micah Porter. You Can Play. 2019 Inclusive Sports Summit. (2/2019)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Agenda Setting and Decolonizing Transness in Sport Media. 50 Years in Agenda Setting Research: Past and Future Perspectives Conference. (7/2018)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Decolonizing Transness in Sport Media: On Transgender Representations in Sports Illustrated: A Summary. 67th Annual Conference International Communication Association (ICA). Sport Communication Interest Group (SCIG). (5/2017)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Decolonizing Transness: The Frames of Transgender Athletes in Sports Illustrated. College of Media, Communication and Information Graduate Student Showcase. (4/2017)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. The Right of Self-Determination: Creating Inclusive Spaces for Transgender Folks in Journalism. ACES The Society for Editing 21st Annual National Conference. (3/2017)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. The Rebirth of Gendered Language: The Transgender Experience. Society for the Academic Study of Social Imagery (SASSI): The Image of Rebirth in Literature, Media, and Society. (3/2017)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. The Problematic Romanticizing of Caitlyn Jenner. Intersectional Inquiries and Collaborative Action: Gender and Race. (3/2017)
- Skewes, Elizabeth and Tammy Rae Matthews. Framing Difference: Media Treatment of Victims in Two Mass Shootings. Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) 26th Annual International Conference. (2/2017)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Decolonizing Transness: The Frames of Transgender Athletes in Sports Illustrated. Colorado State University Graduate Student Showcase. (11/2016)
Panel Presentations
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Panel: Masculinities in Transition. Mr. Gay Namibia: An Academic Analysis of a Publicity Maven, a Social-Justice Defender and Former Altar Boy. The American Men’s Studies Association Advancing the Critical Study of Men & Masculinities (cancelled due to COVID-19). (2020)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Panel: Language and Middle Classness: New Directions in Sociocultural Linguistic Research. The Centrality of Class to Mediations of North American Sport: The Example of Caitlyn Jenner. American Anthropological Association (AAA) and Canadian Anthropology Society (CASCA) Annual Meeting. (11/2019)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Panel: Digging Deeper with Qualitative Agenda-Setting Analyses. 50 Years in Agenda Setting Research: Past and Future Perspectives Conference. (7/2018)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. Panel: Roundtable — Beyond the Binary: Teaching and Thinking Transgender. Intersectional Inquiries and Collaborative Action: Gender and Race. (3/2017)
Creative Work
- Matthews, Tammy Rae and Emilie Johnson. You Can Play Roller Derby. Achieved 35k views in six weeks. Available at www.facebook.com/123764227733045/videos/511194332712201 (2019)
- Matthews, Tammy Rae. The Legendary Dr. Harriet “Patsy” Boyer. The Dr. Harriet Patsy Boyer Scholarship Memorial Scholarship in Women’s Studies. Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO). Available at vimeo.com/186430953 (2016)
Grants and Other Funding Initiatives
- Program Acceptance. Women’s Faculty Moving Forward: Taking the Lead pre-convention workshop at the 106th Annual Conference Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). (8/2023)
- Summer Funding Grant. College of Media, Communication and Information (CMCI) Journalism department. University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO). Annually between 2016 and 2020.
- Travel Grant. College of Media, Communication and Information (CMCI). University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO). Annually between 2016 and 2020.
- Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Graduate Student Diversity and Inclusion Fellow. (8/2020)
- Grant. Workshop. OpEd Project: “Write to Change the World.” (7/21-23/2020)
- Research Associate. NAB Pilot Innovation Grant. Primary Investigators: Kathleen M. Ryan and Elizabeth Skewes (ongoing).
- Exhibition Co-Manager. The Evolution of Perspective: Cross-Cultural Currents around the World. Funded by grants from Colorado State University, The Institute for Shipboard Education and private contributions to the Semester at Sea program. The exhibit is displayed at locations across the United States and around the world. (2017)
Academic Honors and Awards
- 2023 Kopenhaver Center Fellow. Recognized at the Women’s Faculty Moving Forward: Taking the Lead pre-conference. Sponsored by the AEJMC Commission on the Status of Women, the Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for the Advancement of Women in Communication at Florida International University and the AEJMC Council of Affiliates. 106th Annual Conference Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). (8/2023)
- Award of Excellence, Sports, 2019 BEA On Location (Boulder), You Can Play Roller Derby. 33% acceptance rate.
- Top 2 Student Paper in Sports Communication, Sports Division, 67th Annual Conference International Communication Association (2017), Decolonizing Transness in Sport Media: On Transgender Representations in Sports Illustrated: A Summary.
- Graduate Teaching Instructor of the Year, Colorado State University Department of Journalism and Media Studies (2015-2016).
- Omicron Delta Kappa induction, University of Missouri (5/2004)
Service
- Keenan-Martine Grant Selection Committee. St. Bonaventure University (2022-2023 academic year)
- International Communication Association Conference Reviewer (2022-2023 conference season)
- Manuscript Reviewer: Feminist Media Studies (2019-present), Sport & Society (2020).
- Marketing Chair and Internship Coordinator: 2020 Spring Conference of the Society for Linguistic Anthropology (2019-2022, conference delayed due to COVID)
- Moderator. BEA on Location. University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO). (2019)
- College of Media, Communication and Information (CMCI) Diversity Advisory Board for Graduate Students: Journalism Representative (2018 – 2020)
- Graduate Student Association Treasurer (2018 – 2021)
- You Can Play Project (North America and Canada) Service-Based Research (1/2017 – 2020) Research consultant. Internship coordinator. Educator and presenter.
- Society of Professional Journalists Graduate Student Representative and Travel Grant Recipient, Colorado State University Chapter (8/2014 – 7/2016)
- English Instructor | Trin Chen Cho Dey Monestery (sic) (Indian Himalayas, Gopalpur, India) Courses: Beginner Reading. Advanced Reading. Grammar. Conversation. (6-8/2013)
- South Suburban Family Shelter (Homewood, IL) 40-hour domestic violence training and volunteer. (5/2006)
- South Suburban YWCA (Chicago Heights, IL) Volunteer hotline and hospital advocate (8/2005 – 12/2006), 40-hour advocacy training (weekly training) (8/2004 – 8/2005)
- Special Olympics, Columbia, MO (Fall 2003 – Spring 2004)
- Head Start: Toy Drive founder and manager (Spring 2001 – Spring 2004)
- Panhellenic Council Executive Board (Fall 2001 – Spring 2002)
- Alpha Phi Sorority (2000-2004)
- Rape Education Office, University of Missouri-Columbia (Columbia, MO) (2000-2004)
- STAR (Stronger Together Against Rape): President (Fall 2002 – Spring 2004), Public Relations Chair (Fall 2000 – Spring 2002)
I construct my classrooms like newsrooms and sport teams. To protect the integrity of my field, I strive to educate students on modern media models while promoting superior writing and journalistic principles in the academy.
The newsroom is a field. The media producers are a team. They move and navigate information while striving to convey the most truthful and physically strong stories that document histories and withstand the passing of time.
My high school newspaper trained me to physically cut and paste text as well as edit typeset galleys with flair pens. Fast forward several decades and media production could not be more different. I watched the technological age of journalism
evolve and immersed myself in it. I can only imagine what change our students might see in their careers. I want to prepare them for the unexpected.
I view my students as a team in both virtual and in-person environments. I am their coach, and we are all partners in success. I pull from my belief that formidable team sports — and how they contribute to collective education, productive
action and self-worth — can establish a substantial foundation for academic and professional accomplishment. I field strength in vulnerability. Building a curriculum for a sport media program that considers comprehensive ethical frameworks
and theories fuels a desire to empower inquisitive minds.
Sport reflects a global society, and sport media education should reflect the fundamental power sport has in domestic and international culture. Sport unites and divides. Sport journalism documents history. It impacts collective knowledge and
affective reactions that seep into modern culture. Most athletes dream of gameplay, and the classroom is an expansive and reactive field fueled by collective passion, imagination and a thirst for knowledge. In classes, we engage in conversations
from sport’s most famous installations to the more obscure corners of the athletic world.
A Chicagoland area native who lives in Colorado, Matthews finds joy in her rescue dogs, personal and professional communities, roller skates, mountains, museums, libraries, bodies of water and travel.