Education

• PhD in Critical Studies from University of Southern California 2013
• MA in Critical Studies from University of Southern California 2007
• BA in Film and Media Studies from University of California Irvine 2004

Research

In general, Dr. Wolf approaches the study of film and television from a multifaceted perspective that is invested in the historical, industrial and cultural dimensions of media production and consumption. She is primarily interested in the working relations, production cultures, institutional policies, and marketing tactics that inform the creation and circulation of media forms throughout multiple eras. As an historian of media forms and functions as well as the work of professionals, her research also recognizes the importance of archival and ethnographic research practices.

Her primary research focus is on Critical Animal Media Studies, an emergent field of study that blends the concerns of posthumanist animal studies and media studies and is invested in analyzing the material relationships between human and non-human animals across a diverse array of screens and industrial contexts. Included in this research are investigations into the histories of multispecies fame and performance, the work of “animal trainers” in the Hollywood media industries, the production histories of films and television programs about interspecies life, and the strategic affect and creative labor used in digital media that facilitates pet celebrity.

Areas of Specialization

• U.S. Film and Media History
• Television Studies
• Stardom and Performance
• Media Industries and Production Studies
• Animal Studies

Courses and Teaching

• FAMS 300 Film and Media History
• FAMS 110/MART 110 Media Culture
• FAMS 511/MART 591 Animal Media
• FAMS 383 Documentary Studies
• FAMS 312 Stardom, Celebrity and Performance
• FAMS 240 Film and Media Analysis