• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

Open Search
  • Admissions
    • Undergraduate Admissions
    • Graduate Admissions
    • Cost, Aid & Scholarships
    • Visit Us
    • Request Information
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate Programs
      • BA in Journalism
        • News Reporting & Editing
        • Public Relations
      • BA in Media
        • Cinema and Media Studies
        • Film, Television and Digital Production
        • Interactive and Digital Media
        • Media Advertising
        • Media Management, Law and Policy
        • Media Science
        • Media Technologies, Games and Culture
        • Sports Media
      • BFA in Cinematic Arts
      • BS in Game Design
    • Graduate Programs
      • MS in Media
        • Data Journalism
        • Design and Production
        • Journalism
        • Management
        • Strategic Communication
      • MA in Media Arts & Sciences
      • PhD in Media Arts & Sciences
    • Minors & Certificates
    • Honors Programs
    • Courses
    • Precollege Programs
  • Research
    • Centers, Affiliates & Partners
    • Student Opportunities
  • Career Prep
    • Career Possibilities
    • Internships
    • For Employers
  • Student Experience
    • Travel Opportunities
    • Student Work Gallery
      • Gallery Archive
    • Service Learning
    • Student Organizations
    • Media Living Learning Center
  • People
    • Leadership
    • Faculty Directory
    • Staff Directory
    • Graduate Student Directory
    • Student Ambassador Directory
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events
      • Past Events
    • Speaker Series
  • Student Portal
    • Advising
      • Graduate Advising
      • Undergraduate Advising
    • Career Prep & Internships
      • Finding Internships & Jobs
      • Applying for Internship Courses
    • Get Involved
      • Student Ambassadors
      • Managing and Creating Organizations
      • Graduate Association
      • Honors Programs
      • Part-Time Jobs
    • Courses & Registration
      • BFA admission
    • Scholarships & Financial Aid
      • Travel Funding
      • Undergraduate Scholarships
      • Graduate Scholarships
    • Student Support
    • Technology
      • Connect2 Troubleshooting
      • Course Websites
      • Website Profiles
    • Travel Opportunities
  • About
    • Governance Document
    • Facilities
      • Virtual Tour
      • Radio-Television Building
      • Reserving Space
      • Audio/Video Production Facilities
    • Our History
    • Collections
    • Dean’s Advisory Board
    • Diversity
    • Join Our Team
    • Contact
      • General Inquiries
      • Report an Issue
      • Request Photos & Materials
  • Alumni & Giving
    • Giving to the School
    • Alumni Association
      • Constitution
      • Nominations
    • Distinguished Alumni Awards
    • Alumni Stories
    • Class Notes
    • Subscribe to the Newsletter

The College of Arts + Sciences

The Media School

  • Home
  • Admissions
    • Undergraduate Admissions
    • Graduate Admissions
    • Cost, Aid & Scholarships
    • Visit Us
    • Request Information
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate Programs
    • Graduate Programs
    • Minors & Certificates
    • Honors Programs
    • Courses
    • Precollege Programs
  • Research
    • Centers, Affiliates & Partners
    • Student Opportunities
  • Career Prep
    • Career Possibilities
    • Internships
    • For Employers
  • Student Experience
    • Travel Opportunities
    • Student Work Gallery
    • Service Learning
    • Student Organizations
    • Media Living Learning Center
  • People
    • Leadership
    • Faculty Directory
    • Staff Directory
    • Graduate Student Directory
    • Student Ambassador Directory
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events
    • Speaker Series
  • Search
  • Student Portal
  • About
  • Alumni & Giving
  • Home
  • People
  • Profile

Rachel Plotnick

Assistant Professor

Contact Information

Email:
raplotni@iu.edu
Website:
http://www.rachelplotnick.com

Research and Creative Interests

  • Human-Machine Relationships
  • Interfaces
  • Touch/Haptics
  • design culture and history
  • Embodiment
  • Media and Materiality
  • History of Technology

Biography

My research and teaching focus on information, communication and media technologies from an historical and critical/cultural perspective. Specifically, my research agenda examines human-machine relations, particularly as they relate to interfaces (like buttons, keys, and screens). I investigates how these surfaces play a role in the technological and social aspects of daily life.

My book, Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic and the Politics of Pushing is published by The MIT Press (2018). Read an excerpt here.

Additionally, my research is featured in Technology and Culture, New Media and Society, the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (JASIST), Media, Culture and Society and others.

I am currently working on a new project about “dirty media” – considering how our everyday habits with media (like eating and drinking) and embodied interactions (like handling and fingerprints) reveal the complications and vulnerabilities of media experiences.

Related News

  • Plotnick article analyzes mobile typewriting’s impact on gendered work
  • 40 Media School students, faculty to present research at ICA conference
  • Plotnick book, out next week, explores ‘push-button’ society
  • Media School welcomes 7 new faculty members
  • Leadership
  • Faculty Directory
  • Staff Directory
  • Graduate Student Directory
  • Student Ambassador Directory

The Media School resources and social media channels

  • Faculty & Staff Intranet
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Indiana University

Accessibility | Privacy Notice | Copyright © 2021 The Trustees of Indiana University