Rachel Winter, PhD
Lecturer of Strategic Communication
Faculty Director, Master of Arts in Strategic Communication
My research focuses on non-traditional political participation, digital and social media, and fan studies.
Education
BA, Denison University
MA, Eastern Kentucky University
PhD, University of Central Florida
Courses Taught
Undergraduate
Public Speaking (COM 210)
Social Media Communication (COM 250)
Contemporary Public Relations (COM 318)
Communication Campaigns (COM 325)
Communication and Social Change (COM 331)
Writing for PR (COM 351)
Graduate
Global Strategic Communication (SCOM 510)
Integrated Marketing Communication (SCOM 525)
Digital and Social Media Campaigns (SCOM 530)
Web Analytics and Social Media Metrics (SCOM 535)
Strategic Communication Internship (SCOM 590)
Leadership and Service
President, Florida Communication Association, 2026/2027
Vice president, Florida Communication Association, 2025/2026
Web editor, Florida Communication Association, 2024/2025
Awards and Honors
Teacher of the Year, Florida Communication Association, 2024
Recent Publications
Winter, Rachel, and Corinne Jones. (2024). “Anti-Feminist Branding: A Case Study of #JusticeForJohnnyDepp on Instagram.” Feminist Media Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2024.2418383
Winter, Rachel, Mel Stanfill, and Anastasia Salter. (2021). “Communities of Making: Exploring Parallels between Fandom and Open Source.” First Monday. https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v26i2.10870
Winter, Rachel. (2020). “Fanon Bernie Sanders: Political Real Person Fan Fiction and the Construction of a Candidate.” In "Fandom and Politics," edited by Ashley Hinck and Amber Davisson, special issue, Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 32. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2020.1679.
Winter, Rachel, and Anastasia Salter. (2019). “DeepFakes: Uncovering Hardcore Open Source on GitHub.” Porn Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/23268743.2019.1642794
News & Features
March 31, 2025
Rollins Inducts 24 New Members of Phi Beta Kappa
A select group of Rollins students has joined the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa, placing them among the top 1 percent of college scholars in the U.S.
March 21, 2025
Rollins Museum of Art Collaborates with Hume House Child Development Center
David Matteson, an associate curator of education for Rollins Museum of Art, and Alice Davidson, executive director of Rollins Child Development Center and a professor of Psychology, were interviewed on Central Florida Public Media's Engage about the Symbolic Languages Exhibit. (at 39:01)
October 11, 2024
Psychology Professor Provides Expertise on Children Developing a Love for Reading
Alice Davidson, a psychology professor and Director of the Hume House College Child Development and Student Research Center, provided expert commentary to Parents.com on teaching your child to develop a love for reading.
December 13, 2023
Psychology Professor Shares Research on Gentle Parenting in New York Magazine
Alice Davidson, a professor of psychology, shared her research on "gentle parenting" with New York Magazine's -The Cut.
May 11, 2022
A Professor of Psychology Addresses Social-Emotional Learning
Alice Davidson, a professor of psychology, discusses social-emotional learning and the Florida Department of Education’s review of math textbooks.
April 21, 2022
Psychology Professor Provides Commentary on Social Emotional Learning
Psychology professor Alice Davidson discusses Florida’s ban on math textbooks that promote social emotional learning.