American Studies and Journalism assistant professor co-editor of new book

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Thomas OatesUniversity of Iowa Assistant Professor Thomas Oates is the co-editor of a new book published this summer. The NFL: Critical and Cultural Perspectives is a collection of essays on the National Football League’s influence on American identity and culture. It is the first volume of critical essays exploring the NFL as a culture force, according to the website description provided by Templeton University Press, which published the book.

Oates has a joint appointment with the Department of American Studies and the School of Journalism & Mass Communication, which are part of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. His research and teaching focus on the intersection of sport, media, and culture. Previous accolades include his essay “New Media and the Repackaging of NFL Fandom” named the outstanding article to appear in the Sociology of Sport Journal in 2009, according to the UI’s Department of American Studies website. Oates co-edited his newly published book along with Zack Furness of Pennsylvania State University.

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.