Dr. Nithya Muthuswamy

Biography

Nithya Muthuswamy is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the field of Communication at USC Annenberg. Her research interests focus on communication that transcends cultural and national boundaries, with a particular emphasis on designing effective health messages for diverse populations. Muthuswamy's academic background includes a Master’s and a PhD in Communication from Michigan State University. Her master's thesis explored the communicative effects of adopting an innovative race relations program on campus at Michigan State University. In her doctoral dissertation, she critically examined the use of fear appeals as a strategy to promote condom usage and prevent HIV/AIDS in Namibia, Africa. Before joining USC, she served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, where she taught courses on health communication campaigns, cross-cultural communication, and research methods. Muthuswamy has published articles in leading communication journals and has received several awards for her work presented at national conferences. She is currently working on a paper addressing key conceptual and methodological barriers in the study of self-cultures, and has professional experience with Johns Hopkins University's Center for Communication Programs, serving as a consultant for USAID.

Research Interests