School of Media and Public Affairs professor Kerric Harvey was elected a fellow of the United Kingdom’s Royal Anthropological Institute for her research on the anthropology of the Internet.

Harvey’s research examines the effect of new media on society and politics, particularly with the concept of dramatic conflict transformation, in which people use role-playing and the arts to solve conflicts with modern technology and the Internet.

Harvey said she hopes her fellowship appointment can “give the idea of a virtualized DCT more exposure in order to solve conflicts while they are still preventable, before they occur.”

While her appointment won’t affect day-to-day teaching at SMPA, she said she hopes to be able to involve her students at some point in future institute research.

SMPA Director Frank Sesno said the whole department is very proud of Harvey’s appointment.

“[SMPA is] extremely excited to see what professor Harvey’s fertile, creative and evolutionary mind will come up with next,” Sesno said.

Ash McDaniel, a senior and one of Harvey’s students, described the GW experience as being “incomplete without a Kerric Harvey class.”

“The great thing about professor Harvey, she piques your interest in a subject you had never even known existed, and makes you look at yourself and the world differently,” McDaniel said.