Tammy R. Vigil

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

• Facebook Users’ Engagement and Perceived Life Satisfaction

  Media and Communication · 2015-07-20 · 25 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  This study extends existing research on Facebook’s impact on users’ life satisfaction. The results from two surveys of college students demonstrate a tension between Facebook use and users’ perceived contentment with their lives. Existing literature indicates students use Facebook to enhance self-esteem, yet the results from this study connect increased Facebook use to lower self-reported levels of happiness. In particular, respondents’ interactions with photos and videos increase users’ dissati…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Feminine Views in the Feminine Style: Convention Speeches by Presidential Nominees' Spouses

  Southern Communication Journal · 2014-08-18 · 18 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  The spouse's speech is an expected part of national nominating conventions but is largely ignored in political rhetoric research. This article examines 10 speeches delivered by nominees' spouses between 1992 and 2012 using the feminine style as a critical lens. What emerges are recurring themes and strategies that reinforce a limited perspective on women as political actors. The wives' speeches are restricted to “feminine” political topics or perspectives and reframe the speaking situation in pe…

  PublisherDOI

• George W. Bush's First Three Inaugural Addresses: Testing the Utility of the Inaugural Genre

  Southern Communication Journal · 2013-11-01 · 8 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  During his first bid for president in 2000, George W. Bush gave three key speeches: his nomination acceptance, his victory speech, and his inaugural address. This essay examines these speeches through the lens of the inaugural genre and finds that each of the three contains the goals, themes, and style expected of an inaugural address. This finding demonstrates the potential utility of expanding the informative value of this de facto genre beyond its ontological boundaries, encourages an alterna…

  PublisherDOI

• Moms in Chief

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

  book1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

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

  2019-01-23 · 3 citations

  book1st authorCorresponding

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…

Similar researchers at Boston University

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• Justin Josephh-56
• Susanna S. Leeh-51