Delaware Arif, PhD

Dr. Delaware Arif is an Associate Professor of Multimedia  Journalism in the Department of Communication at Canisius University. His research focuses on social/new media, diaspora, international journalism, and political communication. Dr. Arif has both national and international teaching experience. He taught at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, University of South Alabama, and University of North Alabama. He started his academic career as a Lecturer in the Department of Communication and Journalism at University of Chittagong in Bangladesh. Dr. Arif was a Reporter/Sub-Editor at Reuters (an international news agency), Bangladesh National News Agency (BSS). He also worked as a Team Member of the Communication and Outreach division of the Hunger Project, an international NGO in Bangladesh.

He earned his Ph.D. in Mass Communication and Media Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) focusing on the patterns of usage of social media among the South Asian diaspora group in the U.S. Dr. Arif also received his  M.A. in media theory & research from SIUC. He completed the Training for Trainers course at the International Institute for Journalism (IIJ) in Germany. Dr. Arif also received his B.A. and M.A. in mass communication and journalism from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh.

He has extensive leadership experience and served as a Chair of the Department of Communication and Journalism at University of Chittagong. Dr. Arif served as the Faculty Senate President, Provost Fellow, and Graduate Program Director at University of South Alabama. He also served as the Head of the International Communication Division (ICD) of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).

He likes playing soccer, biking, roadtrips, and working out. He also loves playing with his guitar during his free time.

Awards

• Awarded (with Md. Oliullah) $5,000.00 NSF I-Corps Program grant from the University of South Alabama to investigate how the media covers gender stereotypes and racial disparities in STEM education in the U.S.
• Barbara Shirvanian Advisor of the Year Award, 2022-2023
• Mortar Board “Top Prof” Award 2022
• Awarded (with Dr. Pavica Sheldon) $10,000.00 for a study on the “Partisan media as enhancers of belief gap: The coverage of the anti-Critical Race Theory (CRT) bills in the media”," Sponsored by the "Social Justice Initiative Grant, of the University of South Alabama, Internal to the University.
• Awarded a stipend of $1,400 as the USA Faculty Fellow in Community Engagement