Kofler, AnnaFulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant

Anna Kofler was born and raised in Innsbruck, the capital city of the region Tyrol in Austria. She finished her master’s degree in English and American Studies at the University of Innsbruck in 2023. Already in her bachelor’s studies, Anna developed a research interest in the field of Media and Cultural Studies with a specific focus on pop cultural phenomena. During her masters’ studies, Anna further explored these topics also within the context of the additional masters’ program Media Studies. In her master thesis for English and American Studies she investigated the development and effects of parasocial relationships media users form with fictional characters through mediated interactions. Anna illustrated how recipients’ connection to characters from the Lord of the Rings franchise resemble interpersonal relationships in many ways and explored how these parasocial relationships may affect recipients. Since language is an essential aspect of every human culture, Anna is excited to come to Emory University as Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant to share her mother tongue, German, and the Austrian culture while learning about and experiencing US culture herself.