Photo of Macon, June

June Macon

Doctoral Candidate

About

June Mia is currently a Ph.D. Candidate pursuing her degree in Communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she joined the department in 2016. She holds a B.A. in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, along with a minor in Spanish. She earned an M.A. in Adult Education and Training from the University of Phoenix and received her M.S. in Public Communication and Technology from the Department of Journalism at Colorado State University. Born in Pittsburgh, she hails from a variety of points east, but most recently lived in Fort Collins, Colorado. In 2021, she published her first book chapter entitled, DJ’s Gig: Affective Hip Hop Culture and Affordances of Participatory Platforms during a Global Pandemic in Sustaining Black Music and Culture during COVID-19 #Verzuz and Club Quarantine which was edited by Dr. Niya Pickett Miller.

She teaches public speaking at UIC and other communication courses at universities around the city of Chicago including DePaul University and Loyola Chicago. June's research interests include streaming & social networking sites, participatory platforms, gender, race, and policy. Her dissertation addresses the affordances of Twitch.tv and examines hip-hop DJs, cultural participation, and labor.

Education

M.A. in Adult Education and Training, Department of Journalism, Colorado State University
M.S. in Public Communication and Technology, Department of Journalism, Colorado State University