Heidi is a Ph.D. candidate in her third year in the JTC department. She serves as a graduate instructor and teaching assistant for courses such as Media in Society, Publicity and Media Relations, and Professional and Technical Communication.

Heidi's research interests center onthe intersection of pop culture and politics, especially in digital environments. Her work seeks to bridge research on public talk and media effects in participatory media cultures, particularly digital media influences on citizens' political understanding and participation. Her dissertation research will focus on Internet memes as persuasive texts, with implications for political discussion and opinion formation.

Heidi worked as a copy editor and page designer in the hyper-local daily newspaper industry for several years before pursuing graduate study. She holds a master's degree in communication and media technologies from Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, N.Y.) and a bachelor's degree in journalism from State University of New York College at Brockport (Brockport, N.Y.).