Faculty Bio

Esther Akheituame

Assistant Professor in the Department of Journalism & Communication

Education

• Ph.D., Communication, University of Missouri
• M.A., Communication, University of Central Missouri
• B.A., Mass Communication, University of Benin

About

Dr. Akheituame's approach to the study of communication is culturally grounded. She often examines how culture shapes the ways we communicate, create meaning, and navigate our world. In her classes, Dr. Akheituame is intentional about creating meaningful opportunities that make learning engaging, enjoyable, and applicable beyond the classroom. She encourages students to explore communication through cultural perspectives and to recognize how their own experiences and worldview shape the ways they communicate.

Her research similarly seeks to contribute to the broader academic community through scholarship that brings diverse perspectives into conversations. She is particularly interested in incorporating and centering voices that have historically been underrepresented in communication research. Her research interests span media effects and representation, the Nigerian film industry (Nollywood), African feminism, and gender roles from an Afrocentric perspective. At Ohio Wesleyan University, she teaches courses including Communication Theory, Principles and Practice of Public Speaking, Persuasive Communication, and Research Methods in Communication.

Publications and Research Awards

• Akheituame, E. E. (2026). Negotiating feminist identity among young Nigerian women through an African feminist lens. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 1-9.
• Akheituame, E., Adediran, A., & Yue, J. (2026). Accommodative Health Communication practices in Nigerian Social Media Platforms. Language and Intercultural Communication.
• Azhar, F., & Akheituame, E.E. (2026). Love in the Virtual Age: Public Sentiments on Dating in the Metaverse. Journal of Communication Technology, 8(2).
• Riles, J. M., Olajire, A., Akheituame, E., Madrigal, G., & Behm-Morawitz, E. (2025). Memorable media messages of mental illness and implications for policy support: examining the influences of racial ingroup/outgroup recall. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1568155.
• Eshun, E. A., Olajire, A., & Akheituame, E. (2024). Communicating coping during the pandemic: an analysis of the presidential addresses of Ghana and Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Communication, 9, 1423942.
• Akheituame, E., Navigating Patriarchy through the lens of Nego feminism: A phenomenological study of young Nigerian women. Top Three Paper, Feminist Scholarship Division, International Communication Association (Australia, 2024).