Edward Timke Ph.D.

Edward Timke

Assistant Professor

Department
  • Advertising + Public Relations
timkeedw@msu.edu

Bio

Edward (Ed) Timke is a hearing-disabled scholar focused on preserving and telling histories of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in advertising.

Before coming to Michigan State University, Dr. Timke held positions at the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute, Duke University (Cultural Anthropology and Innovation & Entrepreneurship), American University (School of International Service), and the University of California, Berkeley (Media Studies). Since 2016, he has been the Associate Editor of Advertising & Society Quarterly, an academic journal focused on advertising’s relationship to society, culture, history, and the economy.

Timke has published various research and educational articles on DEIB in advertising, including disability, gender, race, and sexuality. He works closely with the Advertising Educational Foundation in New York to develop educational programs that build bridges between academia and industry. He recently co-spearheaded the creation of SeeHer's open-access Gender Equity Certificate. He has received a National Endowment for the Humanities Digital Humanities Advancement Grant and numerous awards recognizing his excellence in teaching and mentoring. In 2023, he served on a committee of disability experts assisting Travel Michigan within the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to select close to $1 million in accessible traveler grants for communities across the state of Michigan. 

Timke is currently a co-Faculty Advisor to Tower Guard, one of Michigan State University's oldest honor societies that works with the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) to support and provide allyship for students with disabilities. He was a Tower Guard member during his undergraduate studies at MSU.

Research and Teaching

  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) in advertising
  • Disability, gender, sexuality, race, and socioeconomic status in advertising and the advertising workplace
  • Representations of historically marginalized people in advertising and media
  • International and intercultural dimensions of advertising
  • History of advertising and media
  • Material culture of advertising

Related Work

Students sit at a table cataloging items with Edward Timke watching in the background
Honors Option Project Blends PR and Historical Materials Preservation
Read more
Education

PhD, Communication, University of Michigan

MA, International and Intercultural Communication, University of Denver

BA, International Relations and French, Michigan State University

Some Recent Publications

Timke, Edward (December 2023), "Disability & Advertising," Ability

Timke, Edward (September 2023), "Disability is Not a Dirty Word: Making Advertising and Public Relations More Welcome, Equitable, and Inclusive for All," in Anastasia Kononova, Teresa Mastin, and Susan McFarlane-Alvarez, eds., Different Together: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Advertising and Public Relations

Timke, Edward (September 2023), "The Advertising Industry’s Advice on Accessibility and Disability Representation: A Critical Discourse Analysis," Journal of Advertising, 52:5, 706-720

Select Grants and Honors

2024, Diversity Microgrant, History Division, AEJMC - A History of Ability Magazine

2024, Tetrad Initiative, Michigan State University - Embracing Organizational “Climate” Change: Understanding Key Indicators of Receptiveness to DEI-Related Change Initiatives in Geoscience Departments 

2017, Digital Humanities Advancement Grant, National Endowment for the Humanities - Circulating American Magazines

Contact Information

Communication Arts & Sciences
404 Wilson Rd Room 370
East Lansing, MI 48824
timkeedw@msu.edu