Accomplished rural broadband expert bolsters Penn State’s expertise on key topic

A respected communications researcher with expertise in areas such as communication policy and regulation, comparative media systems, and rural broadband — an especially important topic in Pennsylvania — has been selected to join the Donald P Bellisario College of Communications as the Pioneers Chair in the Department of Telecommunications. Christopher Ali, who has testified before Congress about federal broadband policies and authored two books, will join Penn State at the start of the 2022-23 academic year. He previously served as an associate professor at the University of Virginia. Ali’s research interests include communication policy and regulation, rural broadband, critical political economy, critical geography, comparative media systems, media localism, and local news. His current research focuses on broadband policy and deployment in the United States, specifically in rural areas.