Edward Timke Ph.D.
Bio
Edward (Ed) Timke is a public cultural historian of advertising and its place in society and culture. His scholarship focuses on preserving and sharing histories of advertising within and beyond the United States, with a significant focus on disability and accessibility.
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 an editor (currently Co-Editor) of Advertising & Society Quarterly, an academic journal focused on advertising’s relationship to society, culture, history, and the economy.
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 certificate on gender and advertising. 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 and 2024, 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 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
- Disability and accessibility in advertising representations and the advertising workplace
- International and intercultural dimensions of advertising
- History of advertising and media
- Material culture of advertising
