Assistant Professor Liz W. Faber Receives Book Award

Assistant Professor of English & Communication Liz W. Faber, Ph.D. received the Pop Culture Association 2022 Emily Toth Award for Best Single Work in Women’s Studies for her book The Computer’s Voice: From Star Trek to Siri.

The award honors Emily Toth, a pioneer in both women’s studies and popular culture, and recognizes works that make a significant contribution to those fields. Dr. Faber will be recognized at the Pop Culture Association’s virtual conference, which runs from April 13-16, 2022.

“I’m honored that the PCA/ACA has named my book the winner of the Emily Toth Award!” said Dr. Faber. “I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my PhD mentor, Sue Felleman, my editor, Leah Pennywark, and all the other folks who have been supportive along the way. The Computer’s Voice began with my obsession with Star Trek and slowly morphed into my doctoral dissertation, then I revised it into the book it is today. Even though many people see science fiction as just a silly form of entertainment, I’m glad I’ve been able to pursue my passion for it through research and teaching. I hope this award helps inspire our Dean students to go study what they love and find their own vision of success!”  

The Computer’s Voice focuses on the representation of gender in media, technology and science fiction. Considering Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Her, and more, Dr. Faber explores contentious questions around gender: its fundamental constructedness, the rigidity of the gender binary, and culturally situated attitudes on male and female embodiment. Going beyond current scholarship on robots and AI to focus on voice-interactive computers, The Computer’s Voice breaks new ground in questions surrounding media, technology, and gender.

Congratulations, Dr. Faber! Learn more about the English and Communications at Dean College.