RESEARCH & CREATIVE WORK
RESEARCH AGENDA
My research and creative practice are unified by Social Sonic Design, the interdisciplinary framework I have developed to investigate how intentionally designed sound shapes media, memory, learning, care, and cultural transmission. Drawing from immersive audio, sound design, composition, media studies, and public scholarship, Social Sonic Design examines what sound can do, for whom, and under what conditions.
As immersive media environments reshape communication, education, healthcare, national defense, and cultural life, my research explores how sound can function as more than artistic expression or technical production. It begins with the premise that sound is not simply expressive, but epistemic—a means of generating knowledge, shaping human understanding, and expanding the ways we investigate complex questions. My work further proposes that memory itself requires care, and that intentionally designed sonic experiences can preserve culture, deepen learning, strengthen human connection, and address real-world challenges.
The projects presented in this section represent a coherent body of creative scholarship spanning immersive music production, post-production sound, public health, historical preservation, workforce development, and interdisciplinary research. Together, they establish Social Sonic Design as a framework for research, pedagogy, and professional practice while demonstrating how sound can serve as a site of scholarly inquiry, social engagement, and public impact. In doing so, they reinforce the Cathy Hughes School of Communications' and Howard University's mission to produce knowledge in service of society.
OVERVIEW OF SCHOLARLY AND CREATIVE OUTPUT
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Major Productions, Sound Architecture & Film/Podcast Series: 11
- Includes: Commercial album engineering, feature documentaries, sound tracking, and multi-season podcast productions.
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Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters, Institutional Research & Published Articles: 7
- Includes: Palgrave Macmillan book chapter, Emerald Publishing handbook chapter, official university center research reports, and invited New York Times public scholarship.
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Refereed Conference Presentations, Invited Panels & Guest Lectures: 19
- Includes: Audio Engineering Society (AES), International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM), Berklee College of Music, and university research symposia.
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External Research Grants, Sponsored Research Fellowships & Funded Contracts: 10
- Totaling over $290,000 in external capital from sources like the Interledger Foundation, Spotify, and The Recording Academy.
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Patents & Registered Intellectual Property: 2
- Includes: One utility patent application for interactive data monetization and one registered creative copyright portfolio.
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National & International Prestigious Peer Recognitions / Awards: 4
- Includes: Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Best of Competition Winner, GRAMMY Award nomination contribution, and major film festival laurels.
GUIDELINES - SCHOLARLY RESEARCH
The portfolio of creative scholarship and engineering presented below directly fulfills the core mandates set forth in the Recommendation 305-2015 Preamble (p. 12):
"Evaluation and assessment of Faculty members will be based on the following: high-quality, peer-reviewed publications, juried creative productions and production of publicly distributed professional work; public recognition of professional and academic excellence; recognition by professional societies or recognized experts in the candidate's field or medium;"
With respect to work output, Section X: Promotion and Tenure requires the following of candidates at the rank of Assistant Professor seeking the rank of Associate Professor (p. 22):
"The candidate shall have published or had accepted for publication:
- One (1) Peer reviewed book
- Media Productions (see Appendix A)
OR
- One (1) Major Production (as described in Appendix Band/or Appendix C)
OR
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Published or accepted for publication some combination of the following, which must total five (5) quality publications:
- Book chapter(s)
- Refereed articles in legitimate journals
"Designing Spatial Audio Environments for Autonomic Regulation: Toward a Framework of Social Sonic Design”
Description: Presented a foundational framework at the 2026 AES Paris Conference mapping spatial audio engineering to autonomic nervous system regulation via cultural soundscapes.
Context: Created a new field of study called "Social Sonic Design" to use spatial audio for health and nervous system regulation.
Effort: Combined neuroscience, composition, cultural sound cues, and audio technology to move immersive sound beyond simple visual media. "Lullaby for Ébùn" is the creative work complement to this traditional research.
Impact: Accepted to present a lecture and publish a paper at the 2026 Audio Engineering Society International Conference in Paris. This positions my work at the center of global conversations on health and immersive media technology.
File: HERE
Book Chapter Publication in "The Emerald Handbook of Computer-Mediated Communication"
Description: A theoretical framework proposing new relationships among interaction, value creation, and adaptive sonic systems.
Context: Authored the peer-reviewed book chapter “Call & Response: A System for Converting Interactive Data into Money and Sound” (2022) to address how pandemic-era artists suffered from losing live audience feedback during social media performances.
Effort: Developed an original theoretical framework showing how real-time digital audience behavior (like live chat comments) can be captured and used to automatically trigger digital currency payments and generate new musical compositions.
Impact: As the sole author of the book chapter, contributed to a leading international handbook published by Emerald Publishing Limited. Emerald is a premier global publisher managing a research network that spans over 130 countries and provides digital library access to more than 300 universities worldwide, ensuring my theoretical framework has a permanent, international academic reach.
Link: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-80071-597-420221034/full/html
File: HERE
Who Catfished Ella Fitzgerald? Five Minutes to Make You Love Ella Fitzgerald.
Description: Published an invited New York Times feature essay analyzing Ella Fitzgerald's vocal mastery through modern digital media and communication frameworks.
Context: Invited by acclaimed cultural critic Marcus J. Moore to contribute a critical musicology essay for the New York Times feature, "5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Ella Fitzgerald."
Effort: Authored the specialized essay "Who Catfished Ella Fitzgerald?", analyzing her 1975 live performance of "You Turned the Tables on Me" to bridge historic jazz phrasing with modern digital and social contexts.
Impact: Published June 2, 2025 in a premier global news outlet, expanding the university's cultural footprint and translating complex music theory for an international audience of millions.
Link: New. York Times (paywall) https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/04/arts/music/ella-fitzgerald-jazz-music.html
Modeled Maatic Counter Narrative Communication Theory: Examining the Erasure of African-American Women in Audio
Description: Published a peer-reviewed Palgrave Macmillan book chapter establishing a new theoretical communication framework.
Context: Authored the peer-reviewed book chapter “Modeled Maatic Counter Narrative Communication Theory: Examining the Erasure of African-American Women in Audio” (2024) in Black Communication Theory Volume 2, edited by Dr. Kehbuma Langmia, and published by Palgrave Macmillan.
Effort: Combined collaborative research and communication theory to analyze how Black women producers and engineers build successful paths in school and the industry.
Impact: Published October 13, 20024. Created a major theoretical intervention that reframes Black women as active models of technical excellence and leadership, rather than just subjects of erasure. This work directly challenges old industry myths about pipeline problems.
Link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-69495-0
Signal and Story
Description: Published an invited Howard Magazine essay detailing AI and spatial audio curriculum innovations that reached 88,000 readers across corporate and legislative networks.
Context: Authored a high-visibility public essay in 2025 exploring how AI, immersive audio, and Black musical traditions change music education and creative work.
Effort: Synthesized my unique experience as an educator, researcher, and Recording Academy leader to showcase Howard University’s audio curriculum as a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary model.
Impact: Advanced institutional thought leadership and drove student recruitment by highlighting successful career paths at top organizations like Spotify, SiriusXM, and SoundExchange. According to official media metrics, the publication maintains a print circulation of 88,000 readers per issue, directly distributing my research to university alumni, corporate partners, major private foundations, donors, and national legislators. Published in the Magazine's Fall 2025 issue.
Multi-Institutional Research Initiative "Lost In The Mix"
Publication Date: November 10, 2023
Context: Co-authored a major 2023 multi-institutional research project analyzing gender representation among producers and engineers on streaming networks and award registries.
Effort: Combined large-scale industry data analysis with cultural critique to pinpoint why women and non-binary technical professionals face gaps in career advancement.
Impact: Established Howard University as a leader in data-driven conversations about equity and labor in the music business. The findings provide concrete evidence to push for real accountability across global music platforms.
Link: https://cwggl.howard.edu/articles/lost-mix-analysis-credited-technical-professionals-music-industry-highlighting-women-and