Michael Tristano Jr., Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. Michael Tristano Jr. (he/him/el) earned his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Communication Studies from the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University, along with a graduate certificate in Gender Studies from the School of Social Transformation. Michael’s work is at the intersection of performance studies, critical/cultural communication, and queer intercultural communication. His research focuses on the material conditions of queer and trans people of color and the means by which queer and trans communities of color engage in worldmaking practices and perform joy in light of oppressive conditions. His work can be found in the Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies, and QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking. When Michael is not teaching and writing, he can be found in a bookstore, watching marvelous reality television, or at a drag show.