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Department of Communication

Dr. Devendra Sharma

California State University, Fresno
Department of Communication
5201 North Maple Ave, Mail Stop SA 46
Fresno, CA  93740-8027

Office: Speech Arts 36
Phone: 559.278.5105 | Fax: 559.278.4113
email | web | vitae

Position: Assistant Professor
Education: Ph.D., Ohio University

Dr. Sharma is on sabbatical during the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 semesters

Interests: Persuasion for Social Change, Performance and Communication,  Popular Culture,  Entertainment-Education Communication Strategies

Dr. Sharma’s research interests center on Persuasion for Social Change; Performance and Communication; Popular culture; and Entertainment-Education Communication Strategies. He is a practicing performer, writer, and director of Swang-Nautanki, a folk musical theatre genre of north India. He has directed and produced many films for social change in India. In 2000, he was a Packard Foundation-PCI Fellow from India at USC’s cinema school, and Annenberg School of communication. His publications include a book chapter in Entertainment-Education and Social Change: History, Research, and Practice, and another book chapter in Communication and Social Activism. He has given numerous guest lectures and conference paper presentations that include guest lecture at UCLA, and presentation at Population Communication International, United Nations Plaza, New York. In March 2005, he facilitated “Participatory Theater for Social Change” workshop for communication and theater students at Central Michigan University.

Links of Dr. Devendra Sharma's Community-Engagement Work

 

Peer-reviewed Articles/Book Chapters on Community Engagement written by Dr. Devendra Sharma:

“Catalyzing Social Reform Through Participatory Folk Performances in Rural India”
Link

“Nautanki Performances: Creating Sites for Community Connection and Social Action”
Link

“Participatory Photography as Theory, Method, and Praxis: Analyzing an Entertainment-Education Project in India”
Link

“Air Cover and Ground Mobilization: Integrating Entertainment-Education Broadcasts With Community Listening and Service Delivery in India”
Link

“Communicating for Social Impact: Performances for Community Friendships and Social Change in India and USA”
<http://www.allacademic.com//meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/3/2/7/3/pages232733/p232733-1.php>

“Nautanki vs. Mass media: Exploring the Role of Community Folk Performances in the Age of New Media Forms and Technology”
<http://www.allacademic.com//meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/9/3/7/7/pages193779/p193779-1.php>

“Using Folk Performances to Communicate Health Messages: A Case Study in Rural India”
<http://www.allacademic.com//meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/1/3/4/4/pages113445/p113445-1.php>


Newspaper Articles about Dr. Devendra Sharma's Community Work/Performances:

Voice of America:
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/american-life/a-13-2008-04-16-voa36.html

San Francisco Public Press:
http://sfpublicpress.org/news/2010-05/dying-northern-india-art-form-revived-in-bay-area

The Collegian Online (California State University, Fresno)
http://collegian.csufresno.edu/2008/04/07/bringing-back-a-lost-opera-nautanki/

India West:
http://www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=1161&sid=5

The World:
http://www.pri.org/theworld/?q=node/16920


Information about Dr. Devendra Sharma's Academic Lectures/Blogs connecting Community Performances and Scholarship:

Lecture and Performance: Folk Opera Nautanki "Mission Suhani" at University of California, Berkeley (May 7, 2010):
http://events.berkeley.edu/?event_ID=31182&date=2010-05-07&tab=all_events

Lecture and Performance: Folk Opera Nautanki "Sultana Daku" at University of California, Berkeley (April 17, 2009)
http://www.scribd.com/doc/14025155/Nautanki-Flier-UC-Berkeley11

Dr. Devendra Sharma's Blog/Videos for CounterPULSE (a non-profit organization supporting community activists):
http://counterpulse.org/performing-diaspora/artists/devendra-sharma/


Dr. Devendra Sharma's Performance Videos based on Community issues on YouTube:

Folk Opera Nautanki "Mission Suhani" based on the issue of immigration and women's empowerment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59LySx4sYWE

Folk Opera Nautanki "Sultana Daku" based on the issue of post-colonism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_pZO5GLOKk

Non-profit organization (Brij Lok Madhuri) started by Dr. Devendra Sharma for Community-Engaged work in India:
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~is224504/about.html

For more links and articles about Dr. Devendra Sharma's Community-Engagement work, please see his Faculty Website at California State University—Fresno:
http://www.csufresno.edu/communication/faculty_staff/faculty/sharma.shtml