Olu Jenzen

Dr Olu Jenzen is Principal Lecturer in Media Studies at the University of Brighton. Her research ranges over different contemporary themes in Media Studies and Critical Theory with a particular interest in the politics of aesthetic form and the aesthetics of protest; and in popular culture as it intersects with debates of gender and sexualities, activism, marginalized communities, heritage, and social media.

Current projects include an AHRC funded project on the Aesthetics of Protest, a University funded social engagement award - Digital cultures of resistance: LGBTQ Social Media Popular Culture Strategies and Activism, about the activist lives of young people, and two further AHRC funded Early Career projects: The People’s Pier and a multi disciplinary project exploring the connections between young people and sporting celebrity.

Dr Jenzen was awarded a BA honours in Comparative Literature and Film Studies (1st class) in 1998 from the University of Lund, Sweden and an MA in Comparative Literature (Distinction with Prize) in 2001, also from Lund. She received her PhD in English Literature from Sussex in 2009 and joined The University of Brighton in December 2010, having taught Media and Cultural Studies, English Literature and Gender Studies at the University of Sussex since 2007.

Teaching:
Dr Jenzen teaches critical theories of media and culture, media and popular culture and media research methods. She is the Course Leader for the Media Studies BA degree. In 2013 she was awarded the Excellence in Facilitating and Empowering Learning Award.

Dr Jenzen is currently supervising PhD students working on topics such as queer visual activism in South Africa; social media and LGBT mental health support; film making, sexuality and disability; and LGBTQ kinship practices and collaborative art practices. She welcomes students undertaking postgraduate research projects that are interested in aspects and politics of aesthetic form, issues of gender and sexuality, dissident sexualities, or situate their project within feminist and/or queer theoretical methodologies, but also projects that, in a wider sense, relate to other aspects of ‘margins’, sub cultures and popular culture.