Doris Acheme [A-cheem-ay]

Doris E. Acheme, (Ph.D., University of Oklahoma) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia. Her research interest is in intergroup and intercultural communication. Specifically, she focuses on the role identity plays in psycho-social responses of individuals during interactions, with two main areas of focus. The first area of research is in language attitudes, with emphasis on (a) documenting the stigma attached to speaking with non-U.S. American accents, (b) explaining the mechanisms underlying language attitudes and their effects on intergroup communicative outcomes, with the goal of (c) changing negative language attitudes and improving intergroup relations. Dr. Acheme’s second area of research is in racial identity processes, with a focus on how African immigrants to the U.S. (re)categorize themselves as minority group members and negotiate their identities as Blacks, upon arrival to the U.S. The goal of this second line of research is to challenge the boundaries of what constitutes group membership. Dr. Acheme’s research has been published in major communication journals including, Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Communication Reports, and Journal of Communication and Media Research.