Washingtronic | Stephen Morris | A Digital Presence

biography

>Stephen Morris is a graduate student in the Communication, Culture, & Technology program at Georgetown University. He also works in the Peace Corps Office of Press Relations. Prior to returning to full time studies, he was Program Coordinator at American University’s Center for Asian Studies, where he ran a program bringing Asia’s brightest scholars to AU for research and teaching.

If you’re really interested…

>I am originally from outside Cincinnati, Ohio. The west-side to be precise, which if you know anything about Cincinnati should mean something. I was fortunate enough growing up to have parents that encouraged me to see the world beyond our small town.

When I was doing the proverbial college search, American University sent me a faux passport in the mail. [They also sent an AU-themed bag of popcorn, but that's another story.] Tchotchkes aside, I was drawn to AU for its international flair and commitment to public service.

Later, this led me to Beijing, where I studied and did an internship. Living in China, and amongst the Chinese, I was able to pull back the curtain on my own culture, revealed by its differences with my hosts’.

Upon my return, I was lucky enough to work with the Center for Asian Studies at American University under Dr. Quansheng Zhao. I will never forget his many stories and aphorisms that were incredibly prescient.

In 2007, I became a full time graduate student at Georgetown University’s Communication, Culture, & Technology program. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, CCT brought me out of my comfort zone and challenged my assumptions on a number of fronts. I’ve learned that technology can be transformative as well as disruptive.