Kindness, gentleness, patience, inclusivity, and uplifting are among the many words used by students and faculty to describe Communications and Media Studies Professor, Anjali Ram. Professor Ram passed away on Jan. 25.
Dr. Ram was a leader in the Communications Department and helped to shape the Communications and Media Studies major. Dr. Ram taught Intercultural Communication, Qualitative Research Methods, Gender, Media & Globalization, and Bollywood. In recognition of her dedication to teaching, Professor Ram earned the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2021. She also served as the leader of RWU’s chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the Communication Honor Society and was an active contributor to campus events.
Communications professor, Dr. Kamille Gentles-Peart saw Dr. Ram as a colleague, mentor, and friend.
“I never felt I had to be on guard with her, because that’s the kind of person she was,” Gentles-Peart said. “She genuinely cared and she held space for you in a way that made you feel safe.”
In addition to teaching her students, Dr. Ram also passed on her knowledge of teaching to Dr. Gentles-Peart. Gentles Peart said Dr. Ram taught her that passion does not have to be loud, how to design a class and curriculum that would benefit students, and how to unapologetically be herself in every space.
Students felt strong connections to Dr. Ram through her classes and advising. She was receptive and helped students feel heard about what they wanted to learn about. Communications student Ray Hardy said Dr. Ram made sure to try her best to run her Bollywood course as more students expressed interest. Dr. Ram was able to build connections with her students by incorporating group work where she could hear more student perspectives on the topics at hand.
Hardy learned Intercultural Communication class and Bollywood from Dr. Ram. Hardy said, “Professor Ram taught the subjects with a lot of expertise in the fields. In Bollywood specifically, she was really understanding of the culture and really cared about how much of the information we were digesting which made the course so much more enjoyable.”
“Professor Ram was a shining light for everyone in her class, and I miss her dearly,” said Roger Williams University Senior, Madison Benson.
Benson met Professor Ram through her Bollywood class. “She made learning about new cultures fun! Her Bollywood class is one of my favorite classes until this day becauseI loved getting to watch new movies from a different culture.”
Dr. Ram’s loss will deeply impact the RWU Communications and Media Studies department: “Quite simply, the department will never be the same,” Dr. Gentles-Peart said. “You can feel her absence because that’s the kind of impact she had on the program, on students, on people, on friends.”
