Profile: Jil Freeman

In the world of communication studies at Portland State University, Jil Freeman is one of the tour guides leading students through mountains of information to a destination called understanding.

Freeman, a full-time instructor in the Department of Communication since September 2001, says she views herself as the guide whose job it is to help students think in a critically, "to be evaluative and analytical." She says one of her primary goals is to get "students excited about things they might not otherwise be excited about." Her responsibility is to help students become active and engaged in learning and to become critical consumers of the world around them, she says.

That dedication and understanding led to her receiving the John Eliot Allen Teacher of the Year award. It was the second time that Freeman received the award. Freeman's ties to Portland State and the Communication program are strong, having earned her Bachelor's Degree in Speech Communication in 1999 and her Master's in Communication in 2001.

Freeman's work focuses on the media and how it shapes modern culture, and she teaches a number of classes including Media Literacy; Advocacy and Action; Foundational Readings in Media Studies; Gender, Sex and Media; MTV; Pornography, Profanity, and Popular Culture; and Race in Media. She also helped organize and facilitate Media Education in Action, a public information campaign. In addition she has presented research papers, including "Sexualized Media and Violence against Women," and "Why Media Ownership Matters" at academic conferences. She also has participated in a number of academic panels on media-related issues.

In addition, Freeman is interested in other areas of popular culture, especially the ever-changing creative cultures of society. She is intrigued by activism, which underscores her strong values of fairness, justice, access, and opportunities. Her research has focused on under-served and under-represented populations. "I get frustrated when people don't have access or when obstacles are placed in front of them," she said. "I get excited when people find creative ways to make change." Freeman is also an active part of the change, serving as board member and curriculum coordinator for the Northwest Institute for Social Change and as a board member of the Oregon Association for Media Reform.

To help her students find those creative ways to make change, Freeman uses an "engaging and enriching town hall" approach in her classroom where students explore ideas in a respectful way. She allows her students to openly express their opinions and tell their stories, and she encourages them to seek out answers in a multitude of ways. For her, it is all about helping students transfer knowledge from the classroom into the real world.

In addition to the media classes, Freeman has taught Public Speaking, Debate and Forensics, and Critical Thinking and Argumentation. She is currently the Department of Communication Internship Coordinator, and is the faculty Advisor for the Communication Studies Student Association and Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society, as well as serving on a number of department, university and community panels. She was formerly the director of Forensics at Portland State, and also was the assistant director of Forensics at Portland Community College. She currently also does communication consulting work for a variety of clients.

In her spare time, Freeman enjoys cooking and spending time with what she calls "an amazing group of friends" enjoying the popular cultural activities in the area, including various shows and concerts. She recently purchased her first home in the Portland area, which she shares with her dog, Lucy.