The International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), a global professional organization in the field of media and communication research, has invited Teresa Nicolás Gavilán, PhD, Institutional Director of Educational Innovation at the Universidad Panamericana Mexico City campus, to join the IAMCR International Council.
In this way, Dr. Nicolás has become the only Mexican woman serving on the IAMCR’s governing body and one of only three women from all of Latin America to be a member.
Recognition and commitment to IAMCR
For Dr. Nicolás, working with the IAMCR is nothing new. She has been a member of its Ethics of Society and Ethics of Media group since 2010. In 2011, she was first elected vice-chair of that group, and from 2015 to 2022 she served as its chair.
This year, she received an invitation from colleagues in her group to run for a seat on the International Council, and it was with the support of the other members of that body that she was elected in July.
She says that, on a personal level, her new role fills her with both joy and a sense of commitment. “Joy, because after working for more than 13 years at this institution, helping to promote media ethics, it represents appreciation and recognition from my colleagues, (…),” she explains.
She adds: “It seems to me that this is a way of recognizing the importance of researchers who seek to promote ethical standards in the practice of the profession.”
Speaking about her new role, she said: “My commitment to the institution is even stronger now, and I believe that this also applies to the Universidad Panamericana, since it is represented on this body.”
Educating Through the Media
She states that her main areas of interest in communication research are the portrayal of women in the media, particularly in television series; the portrayal of lifestyles and ethical messages in television series; and, thirdly, media literacy education.
“Through my membership on the International Council , I will strive to promote an ethical vision—that is, a vision of a fulfilling life—as well as the promotion of values, an objective representation and advancement of women, and an awareness of the need for media literacy, especially in today’s media landscape,” she explains.
Challenges and Opportunities
Similarly, the director of Panamericana’s Institutional Center for Educational Innovation is aware that her new role at the IAMCR brings both challenges and opportunities.
The first point she raises is the need to highlight different sectors of the global network: “The International Council has decided to approve the locations where the annual meetings will be held, thereby allowing us to focus on different geographic regions of the world,” she states.
As a second challenge, she notes that it is up to the same Council “to issue statements on highly topical issues affecting colleagues in the field of communication.”
The third challenge is to “select a global theme that will enable the academic community to contribute from various perspectives and solicit proposals for solutions.”
Pan-American Perspective
As a global organization, the IAMCR brings together media researchers from different countries and contexts. In this regard, thanks to her academic and professional experience at Panamericana, she will have the opportunity to contribute her unique perspective to the discussions and decisions of the International Council.
“My experience with the university stems from my time as a student, and now as a teacher, advisor, and director. For me, the ideal of the university is not a goal to be achieved, but a conviction—an idea deeply rooted in my heart—and that perspective shapes my proposals and work,” she says.
She concludes: “In my actions and behavior, I try to embody the ideal (of the Panamericana mission) of seeking the truth and committing myself to it wherever I work.”
Researcher's data
Dr. Teresa Nicolás Gavilán
Director of Educational Innovation
Universidad Panamericana Campus
National System of Researchers, Level II
