About

Tammy R. Vigil, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Communication at Boston University, specializing in research related to US presidential campaigns, presidential spouses, and public address. Her scholarly work includes books such as US Political Ritual and the Covid Pandemic: The 2020 Democratic and Republican Conventions, Moms in Chief: The Rhetoric of Republican Motherhood and the Spouses of Presidential Nominees, 1992-2016, Melania & Michelle: First Ladies in a New Era, and Connecting with Constituents: Identification Building and Blocking in Contemporary National Convention Addresses. She also co-authored The Third Agenda in U.S. Presidential Debates: Debate Watch and Citizen Reactions, 1996-2004. Dr. Vigil has published numerous journal articles and book chapters on topics including Michelle Obama, Melania Trump, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush, national nominating conventions, and the role of first ladies in their husbands’ administrations. She has served as an expert source for various news outlets such as the Associated Press, Guardian, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, CNN, CNBC, and NPR. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. and M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas and a B.A. in Communication, Government, and International Affairs from Augustana College. She has also served as the senior associate dean of the College of Communication at Boston University.

Research topics

• Political science
• Sociology
• Law
• Psychology
• Gender studies

Selected publications

• US First Ladies

  Cambridge University Press eBooks · 2025-01-02

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Chapter 4: The DNC Message: An Inclusive Battle to Save the Nation

  Lexington Books · 2024-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Chapter 2: Communication Technologies and the 2020 Conventions: The Political Ritual Moves Online

  Lexington Books · 2024-01-01

  book-chapterOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Introduction: The 2020 Campaign: The Covid Conventions in Context

  Lexington Books · 2024-01-01

  book-chapterOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• US Political Ritual and the Covid Pandemic

  Lexington Books · 2024-01-01

  book1st authorCorresponding

  US Political Ritual and the Covid Pandemic: The 2020 Democratic and Republican Conventions illustrates the importance of the national nominating convention, both as an ongoing custom that speaks to the unique political structure of the nation and as a source of valuable information that goes well beyond the explicit purposes conceptualized by the parties. In this book, Tammy Vigil specifically interrogates the 2020 nominating programs of the two major U.S. political parties by exploring the decisions Democratic and Republican leaders made regarding the use of technology, inclusion of participants, and construction of messaging during a campaign season altered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Each party had the opportunity to adapt to the constraints of the moment, rethink established practices, and present a vision of the nation that would attract and motivate voters. Vigil delineates the similarities and differences between the Democratic and Republican conventions and demonstrates how the events presaged many aspects of the general election and transition of power that followed.

  PublisherDOI

• Chapter 3: 2020 Convention Participation: Diverse Contributors and Novel Engagement

  Lexington Books · 2024-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• US Political Ritual and the Covid Pandemic

  Lexington Books · 2024-01-01

  book1st authorCorresponding

  <JATS1:p>US Political Ritual and the Covid Pandemic: The 2020 Democratic and Republican Conventions illustrates the importance of the national nominating convention, both as an ongoing custom that speaks to the unique political structure of the nation and as a source of valuable information that goes well beyond the explicit purposes conceptualized by the parties. In this book, Tammy Vigil specifically interrogates the 2020 nominating programs of the two major U.S. political parties by exploring the decisions Democratic and Republican leaders made regarding the use of technology, inclusion of participants, and construction of messaging during a campaign season altered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Each party had the opportunity to adapt to the constraints of the moment, rethink established practices, and present a vision of the nation that would attract and motivate voters. Vigil delineates the similarities and differences between the Democratic and Republican conventions and demonstrates how the events presaged many aspects of the general election and transition of power that followed.</JATS1:p>

  PublisherDOI

• Moms in Chief: The Rhetoric of Republican Motherhood and the Spouses of Presidential Nominees, 1992–2016

  2019-01-23 · 3 citations

  book1st authorCorresponding

• Moms in Chief

  University Press of Kansas eBooks · 2019-01-23 · 5 citations

  book1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Melania and Michelle: First Ladies in a New Era

  Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) · 2019-09-01 · 1 citations

  book1st authorCorresponding
  Publisher

Frequent coauthors

• Diana B. Carlin

  Saint Louis University

  1 shared

• Kelly McDonald

  1 shared

• H. Denis Wu

  Boston University

  1 shared

• Susan Buehler

  1 shared

Awards & honors

• Wrange-Baskerville award given annually by the Public Addres…