Facutly Bio: Gemini Creason-Parker
I am a Visiting Assistant Professor and PRODiG+ Fellow in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice. I completed my PhD in Sociology at Texas A&M University in Spring 2025 and am in the process of finishing my second PhD in Criminal Justice at Texas State University. I also have two masters': one in Communication and Media Studies and the other in Criminal Justice. I am an interdisciplinary scholar, which means I conduct research and teach in realms that overlap with one another more so than not. While I research a variety of topics, my primary foci are sexual assault and media and crime. For my dissertation at A&M, I conducted a content analysis of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" to examine how the show portrays rape cases on screen. This project involved 28+ undergraduate researchers.
"The media has such a profound impact on us as human beings living in a society. Because of its power in shaping public perceptions, its imperative that we understand WHAT it is doing and HOW it is doing so."
Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
Project Overview
This lab will have two tracks: one focusing on the media's portrayal of politicized violent crime events and another examining rape language in popular music over time. Both will involve content analysis as the research method. The first will examine news coverage following the murder of Congresswoman Melissa Hortman and her family and the murder of Charlie Kirk. The purpose is to explore the interaction of politics, violent crime, and newsworthiness. The second track will trace the use of overt and covert rape language in popular music to understand how use has evolved over time.
Student Mentees
Carlee Azure
Marissa Martin
Zayne Pavlick
Gabriella Turo