University of South Florida (M.A)
Florida Gulf Coast University (B.A)

My research interests lie primarily in the ways in which "community" (and related ideas such as "citizenship," "membership," and "belonging") is constructed, maintained, and disrupted. I utilize a critical lens that sits (sometimes precariously) at the intersection of the Rhetorical Studies, Cultural Studies, and various fields that are concerned with issues of Space and Place.
As an educator, I practice a critical pedagogy that encourages students to always reflect on the power, meaning, and value of what they are learning. I seek to help students meaningfully engage, through course material and assignments, with their local and "home" communities.

Fundamentals of Communication
Effective Speaking
Public Speaking
Advanced Public Speaking
History of Rhetorical Theory
Theories of Human Communication

Selected Conference Presentations:

• Youakim, Joshua A. (2018). Panel Presentation (Chaired and Presented): Fake News and Alternative Views: Confronting Challenges in Public Speech. Presented at the Florida Communication Association Conference. October 18th – October 20th 2018.
• Youakim, Joshua A. (2016). Paper Presentation: Two Worlds: Living in the Space Between the ‘Real’ and the Virtual. Presented at the Florida Communication Association Conference. October 21st – October 23rd 2016.
• Youakim, Joshua A. (2015). Panel Presentation: Interrogating Whiteness through media: personal narrative. Presented at the Florida Communication Association Conference. October 22nd – October 24th 2015.
• Youakim, Joshua A. (2015). Paper Presentation: Virtually a Citizen: Democracy, Governance, and Acts of Citizenship in an Online Role-Playing Game. Presented at the Southern States Communication Association Conference. April 8^th – April 12^th 2015.
• Youakim, Joshua A. (2015). Poster Presentation: Seeking Starbucks: Shaping Citizenship Through Patronage in Seminole Heights. Presented at the Graduate Student Research Symposium. March 10^th 2015.