FACULTY PROFILE: A Conversation with Dr. Brian Snee

By: Kelly Nee '23, student correspondent

Dr. Brian Snee is an Associate Professor in the Communication and Media Department who is native to the Northeastern Pennsylvania area. He has worked for The University of Scranton since 2020 and is the author or co-author of several books, book chapters and journal articles. In 2017, he led a TEDx Talk titled "How the Virtue of Eloquence Became a Vice." 

Here, he discusses his emphasis on teaching "practical, marketable skills," the connectivity of Community-Based Learning, and an event on campus he looks forward to every year.

What do you recommend to someone interested in pursuing a career in your field?

"I always tell my students to think about their dream job. Professional athlete? Movie star? Famous musician? Fashion designer? Social media influencer? President of the United States? Whatever you are interested in, communication and media is a way to make that field central to your professional life. You may not make it to the NFL, but you can make it to ESPN. You may not become president, but you can work for CNN or Fox News. You make not become a recording artist, but you can make documentaries about the music you love."

Why should students consider a major in the communication and media department?

"Most people work at a job they do not truly enjoy, and then in their free time they consume media content. We get to combine the two, getting paid to read and write and think and talk and create that which is genuinely interesting to us. That’s not a bad way to make a living."

What has been the biggest accomplishment of your career?

"My family is the biggest accomplishment of my life. But as for my professional life? Probably finishing my Ph.D. at Penn State. Had I not crossed that goal line, the jobs I’ve had and the books I’ve published and the students I’ve taught never would have become the wonderful world in which I get to live and work."

How do you think the university's Jesuit mission has impacted your time as a professor?

"I have fully embraced the university’s commitment to Community-Based Learning. Giving my students the opportunity to work with and for important non-profits and small family businesses in NEPA is the most Ignatian aspect of my teaching."

"I hope that my deep dive into Community-Based Learning is one of the ways in which I contribute to Communication and Media. In fact, this year I’m excited to serve as a C-BL Fellow, working with the C-BL office to make community connectivity and commitment central to the experience that I offer in my classes."

What are your current research interests?

"I’m currently working on several projects about the PA Senate race between [Democratic Lt. Gov. John John] Fetterman and [Dr. Mehmet] Oz. It’s absolutely fascinating. I’ve never seen anything quite like it."

How would you describe the culture of your department?

"It’s a tightly-knit community. Perhaps because we are somewhat isolated in the Comm's Wing of St. Thomas, we interact on a daily basis, and not just in class or in faculty meetings. Everyone knows everyone."

What IS your strength as an instructor?

"I’d like to think it’s my focus on the development of practical, marketable skills that are built of a solid foundation of liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition. Even when I fall short, that is always my goal. I also try to be the kind of instructor who takes the work seriously, but not himself. We can learn and have fun at the same time."

MEET Dr. Brian Snee

Dr. Brian Snee earned a doctorate amd master's degree in communication arts and science from Penn State University; and a bachelor's degree in communication from The University of Scranton. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Snee received several grants and awards, and in the area of curriculum development, he created a Digital Media Production B.A. degree program at Manhattanville College. 

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

"On Saturdays, I root for Notre Dame and Penn State football. In the car, I listen to podcasts more than music (I have a four-hour round trip commute…). And Netflix has yet to replace 'Ozark' or 'Better Call Saul' with anything nearly as good."

Is there an event or tradition on campus that you look forward to every year? 

"There is nothing more exciting than the first week of fall classes. Although it means back to school and back to work, it also means the campus comes alive again with students, faculty and staff, all of whom are excited about another year at the U."