Shamika Dixit

A person who notices and recognises the difference between a ‘twitch and a blink’. A qualitative researcher and communication scholar with 10 years of experience specialising in ethnography, digital cultures, semiotics, and cultural analysis. Experienced in designing and conducting in-depth qualitative inquiry, interpreting behaviour in its social and cultural context, and analysing multimodal data (texts, visuals, behavioural patterns) using techniques such as constructivist grounded theory, Interpretive phenomenological analysis, structuralist-semiotic analysis, multimodal and critical discourse analysis, and feminist methodologies.

Brings methodological rigour, a strong interpretive lens, and experience in research coordination, facilitation, and stakeholder management.

Assistant Professor, Communication & Culture - Symbiosis Centre for Media and Communication, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) - Pune

(2020-01)

• Lead research-led teaching and inquiry on digital cultures, social media, mediated identity, and audience behaviour, using contemporary media cases to examine patterns of behaviour, cultural meaning and platform practice
• Co-Principal Investigator on a university-funded study of media students’ AI-mediated lifeworlds; shaped methodological strategy and organised fieldwork spanning expert-panel interviews, focus group discussions and projective techniques
• Mentor students in framing research questions, interpreting qualitative material and translating findings into structured, audience-appropriate narratives
• As Department In-charge for Examinations and NAAC Criterion 6, coordinate documentation, deadlines and stakeholders, including examination operations involving 300+ students in a single day

Assistant Professor - Earlier Appointments - NMIMS, Mumbai; Karnavati University, Gujarat; MIT World Peace University, Pune; MIT ADT University, Pune; Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

(2020 - 2023)

NMIMS, Mumbai (2023) • Karnavati University, Gujarat (2022) • MIT World Peace University, Pune (Nov 2021–Jun 2022) • MIT ADT University, Pune (2021) • Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, contractual (Oct 2020–Jun 2021)

• Taught qualitative and communication research, digital and social media marketing, analytics, branding, new media, corporate communication, public relations and media management; guided students in research interpretation and presentation

Fellow, Fellow Programme in Management - Communication (FPM-C) - MICA - Ahmedabad

(2017 - 2021)

Fully funded residential fellowship; teaching and research assistant for Applied Semiotics, Imagining India, and Communication for Development

• Conducted a 24-month social media ethnography examining how Indian yoga practitioners represent themselves on Instagram through sustained online and offline observation, interviews, workshops and projective techniques
• Visiting Research Scholar, Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA

Fellow Programme in Management - Communication (FPM-C) - Communication - MICA (2022)

MSc - Media & Communication Studies (Media Research) - Savitribai Phule Pune University (2015 - 2017)

Bachelor of Mass Media - Journalism - University of Mumbai (2012 - 2015)