PROFESSOR • SCHOLAR • FILMMAKER • POET • COMMUNITY LEADER
Scholarship. Storytelling. Legacy.
Professor Chris Chinwe Ulasi, Ph.D. is a scholar, filmmaker, poet, researcher, and community leader whose work brings together communication, media, education, creative expression, culture, and public engagement.
Professor & Chair, Radio, Television & Film
School of Communication, Texas Southern University
The Scholar
A Career Built Around Knowledge, Communication & Creativity
For nearly four decades, Professor Chris Chinwe Ulasi, Ph.D. has dedicated his career to education, communication, research, creative expression, and community engagement.
As a professor and academic leader at Texas Southern University, his work has explored the ways communication and media influence society, culture, politics, identity, and development, with particular attention to Nigeria, Africa, and the African diaspora. His work extends across scholarship, creative practice, journalism, and public engagement.
More Than One Calling
Professor Chris Chinwe Ulasi’s work cannot be defined by a single title. His career brings together scholarship, education, storytelling, literature, media, and service.
The Scholar
Researcher and professor whose scholarship examines communication, media, society, technology, politics, culture, and development.
The Filmmaker
Producer, director, screenwriter, and creative storyteller whose film work explores African and diaspora experiences.
The Poet
Through poetry, Professor Ulasi explores memory, culture, identity, history, and the complexities of human experience.
Community Leader
His community engagement brings together cultural preservation, education, leadership, and connection across generations and communities.
ACADEMIC JOURNEY
From Education to Academic Leadership
Professor Ulasi's academic journey spans more than four decades of education, teaching, research, mentorship, and leadership in media and communication.
DOCTORAL RESEARCH
Broadcasting and the Corporate State in Nigeria
His doctoral research at The University of Texas at Austin examined broadcasting and the corporate state in Nigeria, providing an early foundation for his continuing engagement with media, communication, society, and national development.
1981
B.S. Telecommunications
Texas Southern University
1982
M.A. Mass Communication
Texas Southern University
Houston, Texas
1989
Ph.D. International Communications
The University of Texas at Austin
Current Academic Leadership
Professor & Chair, Radio, Television & Film
School of Communication, Texas Southern University
RESEARCH & SCHOLARSHIP
Ideas That Connect Media, Technology, Culture & Society
Professor Ulasi’s current scholarship examines how media, technology, communication, and culture shape contemporary society. His work engages emerging questions surrounding artificial intelligence, journalism, digital media, communication ethics, identity, and the changing media landscape.
Current Areas of Inquiry
Media, AI & the Future of Communication
Professor Ulasi’s recent scholarship engages pressing questions in communication today, including artificial intelligence, journalism ethics, digital inequality, public communication, media representation, and the changing relationship between technology and society.
2026 - Performing for the Algorithm
- 44th Annual Media and Communication Conference — CommWeek 2026
2026 The Trust Deficit
- 11th International Conference on Media and Mass Communication — MEDCOM 2026
Research Themes
01
- Artificial Intelligence & Journalism
02
- Nigeria & African Media
03
- Media & Communication
04
- Diaspora, Identity & Culture
05
- Digital Divide & Technology
06
- Film, Storytelling & Society
A Scholarship Spanning Decades
From Nigerian broadcasting and national development to social media, diaspora communities, film, political communication, and artificial intelligence, Professor Ulasi’s work reflects a sustained interest in how communication influences people, institutions, and society.
Selected Publications
Ethical Journalism and AI
2026 — De Gruyter Handbook of Artificial Intelligence and Journalism
Facebook Use Among Nigerians in Houston, Texas
Seeking Legitimacy and Political Control in Nigeria
1994 — CONPO Review
WRITING & COMMENTARY
Ideas, Perspectives & Public Conversation
Professor Ulasi’s writing extends his scholarly and creative interests into public conversation through articles, Op-Eds, commentary, and editorial work on media, culture, society, governance, and contemporary life.
Co-Founder & Executive Editor
The West African Pilot News
Words, Memory & the Poetic Imagination
Through poetry, Professor Ulasi explores identity, memory, culture, history, and the complexities of human experience, bringing together the personal, the social, and the deeply cultural.
DEMIGODS OF THE RAINY SEASON
New Poems · Gong Press · 1994
A collection of poems reflecting the rhythms of memory, culture, place, and the human experience through the poetic imagination.
Stories Told Through Film
Professor Chris Chinwe Ulasi is a filmmaker, producer, director, screenwriter and creative storyteller whose work explores African narratives, identity, culture, history and the experiences of communities both in Africa and in the diaspora.
His films reflect a commitment to authentic storytelling, humanity, and the power of cinema to inform, inspire, and connect.
20+ Years
Creative Work
10+ Films & Projects
Produced & Directed
Best Original Screenplay
Nollywood & African Film Critics' Awards
“Cinema is more than entertainment. It is memory, reflection, and a mirror held up to society” – Prof. Chris Ulasi
Featured Film: Page 36
Featured Film: Page 36
2012
Producer & Co-Director
Page 36 is a powerful dramatic film that explores human experience through compelling storytelling, character, and emotional tension. As Producer and Co-Director, Professor Chris Chinwe Ulasi contributed to the film’s creative direction and production, helping shape its story from concept to screen.
The film reflects his broader creative practice in visual storytelling—bringing together performance, narrative, direction, and production to create work that engages audiences both emotionally and intellectually.
Page 36 received the Best Original Screenplay Award at the Nollywood & African Film Critics’ Awards, recognizing the strength and originality of its storytelling.
Through projects such as Page 36, Professor Ulasi demonstrates his continuing commitment to African cinema and to the use of film as a medium for exploring people, culture, identity, and society.
Role: Producer & Co-Director
Recognition: Best Original Screenplay — Nollywood & African Film Critics’ Awards
Selected Filmography
Producer & Co-Director
2011
Producer & Co-Director
2009
Writer & Producer
2001
Producer
1996
BEYOND THE SCREEN
Film as Communication, Culture & Memory
For Professor Ulasi, filmmaking is also a way of thinking, communicating, and preserving stories. His creative work brings together questions of culture, identity, history, migration, and the experiences of African communities.
His work across film, scholarship, and storytelling reflects a broader interest in how visual narratives can document experience, open conversations, and connect audiences across cultures and generations.
A Life of Knowledge, Creativity & Service
Professor Chris Chinwe Ulasi’s work extends beyond the classroom, the research paper, and the film set. For decades, he has contributed to education, culture, media, community development, and the lives of students and emerging professionals.
Through teaching, mentorship, cultural leadership, public engagement, and creative expression, he continues to connect knowledge with community and culture.
EDUCATION & MENTORSHIP
Teaching, Leadership & Development
Through teaching, mentorship, and academic leadership, Professor Ulasi has contributed to the development of students and emerging professionals in media, communication, and related fields.
CULTURE & HERITAGE
Connecting Culture Across Generations
His community and cultural engagement includes initiatives such as IgboFest Houston, the Igbo Culture and Language Symposium, and the Ndi-Ichie Cultural Association.
MEDIA & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Communication Beyond the Classroom
His work in journalism, public communication, conferences, cultural programs, and professional engagement reflects a continuing interest in the relationship between media, society, and public life.
CREATIVE EXPRESSION
Film, Poetry & Storytelling
Through film, poetry, writing, and visual storytelling, Professor Ulasi explores questions of identity, memory, culture, history, and human experience.
Explore the Work. Discover the Story.
Explore Professor Chris Chinwe Ulasi’s scholarship, creative work, writing, community engagement, and professional journey.