Alex Leavitt

Internet and media researcher.

Curriculum Vitae

alexleavitt@gmail.com | (781) 526-6483 | http://alexleavitt.com

EDUCATION

University of Southern California
Currently enrolled
Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism
Los Angeles, CA
Ph.D., Communication
USC Annenberg Graduate Fellowship
Boston University College of Arts & Sciences
Class of 2009
Boston, MA
B.A., English Language & Literature; minor concentration in Japanese
Magna Cum Laude
Boston University Scholarship
Boston University Dean's List (5 of 8 semesters)
Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies
2008
Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Freeman-ASIA Scholarship Recipient

RESEARCH POSITIONS

Digital Media & Learning Research Hub
2011 - present
University of California, Irvine; Los Angeles, CA
Consultant for Mimi Ito, Ph.D.
Microsoft New England Research & Development
2010 - present
Cambridge, MA
Research Assistant to danah boyd, Ph.D.
Performed qualitative and ethnographic research on people's use of Internet technologies and media.
Futures of Entertainment Consortium
2010 - present
Research Fellow
Microsoft, Entertainment & Devices Division
2011
Cambridge, MA / Redmond, WA
Content Expert Consultant
Authored white papers on transmedia franchises.
Convergence Culture Consortium
2009 - 2011
Comparative Media Studies Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, MA
Research Specialist
Performed research and published weekly essays on changing business models in the global creative industries
Yale University
2010
New Haven, CT
Research Assistant to Elizabeth Stark, J.D.
2009 - present
Cambridge, MA
Lead Researcher
Managed research projects and composed publications on social network analysis
YouTomb
2008 - present
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Researcher & Analyst
Composed research on social networks, YouTube policy, online video regulation, & copyright law
Berkman Center for Internet & Society
2009
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Intern & Research Assistant
Boston University & Kyoto University
2008
Boston, MA & Kyoto, Japan
Research Assistant to Professor Sarah Frederick
"Bridging Contemporary Literature & Modern Entertainment in the 20th Century: Yoshiya Nobuko Across Mediums"

FELLOWSHIPS

Annenberg Innovation Lab Fellow
2011 - present
Annenberg Innovation Lab, University of Southern California; Los Angeles, CA
USC Annenberg Graduate Fellow
2011 - present
Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California; Los Angeles, CA
Futures of Entertainment Fellow
2011 - present

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Harvard University Extension School
2011 - present
Berkman Center for Internet & Society: Cambridge, MA
Teaching Assistant

GRANTS, FUNDING, & SCHOLARSHIPS

USC Annenberg Graduate Fellowship
2011 - 2016
FLOW TV Conference Travel Scholarship
2010
$150
Boston University UROP, Conference Participation Travel Award
2009
$500
Boston University UROP, Student Research Award
2008
$2000
Institute of International Education, Freeman-ASIA Award
2008
$5000
Boston University Merit Scholarship
2005 - 2009
$16,000 (per year)

ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS: PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES

Alex Leavitt and Andrea Horbinsky. [to be published March 2012]. "Even a Monkey Can Understand Fan Activism: Political Speech, Artistic Expression, and the Public of the Japanese Dojin Community" Transformative Works & Cultures
danah boyd, Jenny Ryan, and Alex Leavitt. (2011). "Pro-Self-Harm and the Visibility of Youth-Generated Problematic Content." I/S: A Journal of Law and Policy for the Information Society.

ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS: BOOK CHAPTERS

Henry Jenkins, Joshua Green, Sam Ford, Eleanor Baird, Sheila Seles, Grant McCracken, Derek Johnson, Alex Leavitt, Jason Mittell. (Forthcoming). "The Problem of Media Engagement." Spreadable Media: Creating Value in a Network Culture.

ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS: BOOK REVIEWS

Alex Leavitt. 2010. Inside Scanlation [Web site review]. Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 5.

ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS: ONLINE ARTICLES

Alex Leavitt. 2011. "Minecraft, 'Open-Source Culture,' & Networked Game Development" In Media Res.
Alex Leavitt. 2011. "The Global Cult(ure) of Hatsune Miku" In Media Res.

WHITE PAPERS

[private 2]
2011
Alex Leavitt. Microsoft: Entertainment & Devices Division.
[private 1]
2011
Alex Leavitt. Microsoft: Entertainment & Devices Division.
"Watching with the World: Television Audiences and Online Social Networks"
2011
Alex Leavitt.
2010
Alex Leavitt, Tim Hwang. Web Ecology Project.
2009
Alex Leavitt, John Beilin, Matt Blake, Mac Cowell, Dave Fisher, Sam Gilbert, Russell Hanson, Tim Hwang, Greg Marra, Robert Mason, Colin McSwiggen, Dharmishta Rood, Aaron Shaw, Frank Tobia, Seth Woodworth. Web Ecology Project.

CONFERENCES, PANELS & PRESENTATIONS: RESEARCH

South by Southwest
2012
Austin, TX
Lecturer
Open-Source Culture & the Cult of Hatsune Miku
Microsoft Social Computing Symposium
2012
New York City, NY
Workshop Participant
Title TBD
Active Cultures
2012
Pacific Asia Museum; Pasadena, CA
Lecturer
The Cult of Hatsune Miku
Internet Research 12
2011
Association of Internet Researchers Annual Conference; Seattle, WA
Panelist
How I Saved An Internet: Encyclopedia Dramatica & the Practical and Ethical Tensions of Backing Up
Penny Arcade Expo: Prime
2011
Seattle, WA
Lecturer
The Hidden Value of Punching Trees: Minecraft & the Future of Game Culture
Mindshare LA
2011
Los Angeles, CA
Lecturer
Social Disruption: How We Complicate Technology
Anime Expo
2011
Los Angeles, CA
Panelist
Anime Expo 2011 Academic Symposium
"Open-Source" Culture & the Cult of Hatsune Miku
International Communication Association
2011
Boston, MA
Panelist
Pre-conference Workshop: Placing the Aesthetic in Popular Culture: Quality, Value, and Beauty in Communication and Scholarship
"Open-Source" Culture & the Cult of Hatsune Miku
Media in Transition 7
2011
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Panelist
Digital Culture in Transition: "Open-Source" Culture & the Cult of Hatsune Miku
Barcamp Boston 6
2011
Boston, MA
Lecturer
When Viral Went Viral: Social Media Norms & the Story of Minecraft
Penny Arcade Expo: East
2011
Boston, MA
Lecturer
The Hidden Value of Punching Trees: What Minecraft Reveals About Game Culture
Digital Media & Learning Conference: Designing Learning Futures
2011
Long Beach, California
Panelist & Moderator (Refereed Panel)
Playing with Fire: Learning in Niche Online Communities
Open Video Conference
2010
New York University, New York, NY
Lecturer
When YouTube Killed the Downfall Meme
FLOW Conference
2010
UT Austin, Austin, TX
Panelist
What's Stopping the (Global) Flow of TV?
humanities + digital Visual Interpretations Conference
2010
MIT, Cambridge, MA
Lecturer
Popular Culture Association National Conference
2010
St. Louis, MO
Research Panelist
From Narrative to Character: Transmedia, Emotional Economies, and the Success of Neon Genesis Evangelion
Penny Arcade Expo: East
2010
Boston, MA
Lecturer
Memes, Microcultures, and 2D Chicks: Our Future in the Otaku Gamer
Ignite Boston 6
2010
Boston, MA
Lecturer
Schoolgirls and Mobilesuits: Culture and Creation in Manga and Anime, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
2009
Minneapolis, MN
Lecturer
Death to Narrative Structure! The Conflicting Relationship of Money & Vision in Neon Genesis Evangelion
Open Video Conference
2009
New York University, New York, NY
Lecturer
Anime Video Culture: The Case of Fansubs, Anime Music Videos, & Copyright
Popular Culture Association National Conference
2009
New Orleans, LA
Panelist
Asian Popular Culture - Otaku: The (Un)popular Fandom
Harvard Program for Asian & International Relations
2009
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Panelist
Trends of Education in Asia

CONFERENCES, PANELS & PRESENTATIONS: INDUSTRY

Minecon
2010
Las Vegas, NV
Panelist
Minecraft: Gaming & Education
Canadian Marketing Association Direct Marketing Conference
2010
Toronto, Canada
Lecturer
After Convergence Culture: The Producer-Consumer Wars in the Age of Social Media
MacLaren MCM MMU Conference
2010
Toronto, Canada
Lecturer
After Convergence Culture: The Producer-Consumer Wars in the Age of Social Media
2010 Future of News and Civic Media Conference
2010
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Panelist
Kids These Days: Youth and Online Communities
BarCamp Boston 5
2010
Boston, MA
Lecturer
Euro Plus Cloud Minus Plane Equals Question Mark: How the Internet is Reacting to a Giant Volcano
The Next Big Issues in Social Media (As Told By ChatRoulette)
Podcamp Boston 4
2009
Boston, MA
Lecturer
How Did Social Technology Change Web Culture?
South by Southwest
2009
Austin, TX
Moderator & Panelist

CONFERENCES, PANELS & PRESENTATIONS: FAN CONVENTIONS

Comikaze
2011
Los Angeles, CA
Lecturer
Uncool Japan: The Trials & Tribulations of Japanese Pop Culture
Anime 201: You've Seen Some Shows, Now What?
Anime Expo
2011
Los Angeles, CA
Lecturer
Uncool Japan: The Trials & Tribulations of Japanese Pop Culture
A Survey of Anime Intro & Ending Themes
Anime Tune-Up: Exploring Animation Through Music
New York Anime Festival
2010
New York, NY
Moderator
Anime in Academia
Otakon
2010
Baltimore, MD
Moderator
Anime in Academia
Lecturer
Experiments in the Anime Industry: noitaminA
What's the Point of Anime Opening & Ending Themes?
Anime Boston
2010
Boston, MA
Moderator
Anime in Academia
Lecturer
Introduction to Anime Intro and Ending Themes
After Cowboy Bebop: The Works of Shinichiro Watanabe
Chains, Trains, and Happy Endings: Japan's Underground Sex Culture
On the Road for Anime Pilgrimages
Impact of Evangelion
Hentai Manga: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
From Antisocial Loser to Economic Hero: The History of Otakudom
Otakon
2009
Baltimore, MD
Moderator
Anime in Academia
Lecturer
Without Watching the Anime: Opening & Ending Themes
The Impact of Evangelion
The Problem with Otaku
Anime Expo
2009
Anaheim, CA
Lecturer
Without Watching the Anime: Opening & Ending Themes
The Problem with Otaku
Panelist
Anime in Academia
Introduction to Anime & Manga Studies
Anime Boston
2009
Boston, MA
Lecturer
Music, Genre, & the Works of Shinichiro Watanabe
The Virtual Worlds of Anime
The Anime That's Not Anime: Opening & Ending Themes
Chains, Trains, & Love Hotels: The Japanese Sex Industry
Panelist
Akiba Empire: The Otaku Influence
Connecticon
2008
Hartford, CT
Lecturer
The Anime Culture
Anime Boston
2008
Boston, MA
Moderator & Panelist
Technology, Globalization, and the American Otaku
Trescaflowgun: Comparative Themes in Japanese Animation

CONFERENCES, PANELS & PRESENTATIONS: EVENT MANAGEMENT

Digital Media & Learning Conference: Designing Learning Futures
2012
Long Beach, California
Organizer
Futures of Entertainment 5
2011
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Organizer
Digital Media & Learning Conference: Designing Learning Futures
2011
Long Beach, California
Organizer
ROFLcon II
2010
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Communications Manager
Futures of Entertainment 4
2009
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Event Manager
ROFLthing NY
2009
New York City, NY
Staff
Beyond Broadcast
2008
American University, Washington, D.C.
Social Media Consultant

CONFERENCES, PANELS & PRESENTATIONS: DELEGATION

MIT Business in Gaming
2010
Microsoft New England Research & Development, Cambridge, MA
Delegate
Harvard Program for Asian & International Relations
2008 - 2009
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Delegate
Beyond Broadcast
2008
American University, Washington, D.C.
Delegate
Berkman@10
2008
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Delegate
ROFLcon
2008
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Delegate

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Conversant & literate in French
Intermediate skills in Japanese
Elementary skills in Mandarin Chinese

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Web Design: HTML, CSS (intermediate), Javascript (beginner)
Web Development: Python (beginner)
Graphic Design: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign (intermediate)
Video/Audio: Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, Adobe Soundbooth, Audacity (intermediate)
alexleavitt@gmail.com | (781) 526-6483 | http://alexleavitt.com