Javiera Rossel

Javiera Rossel is a journalist, researcher, and doctoral student in Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas. She was born and raised in Santiago, Chile, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Chile, the country’s oldest public university. Her early academic and professional training focused on communication, digital media, and public affairs, shaping her long-term interest in the relationship between media, power, and social justice.

Before beginning her PhD, Javiera worked for several years in public institutions and nonprofit organizations, coordinating communication strategies related to energy policy, health, and human rights. She also served as Executive Director of the Chilean Observatory of Obstetric Violence (OVO Chile), where she led national advocacy campaigns, media outreach, and research initiatives focused on reproductive justice and respectful maternity care. Through this work, she became deeply engaged in issues of gender, health communication, and digital activism.

In 2025, she began her doctoral studies at the University of Kansas as a Fulbright-ANID scholar. Her research interests include health communication, digital inequalities, visual and narrative representation, eHealth literacy, and social media activism, with a particular focus on women’s health and reproductive rights in underrepresented communities. Her doctoral research examines how digital platforms shape access to information, public discourse, and lived experiences related to sexual and reproductive rights.

In addition to her academic work, Javiera serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, supporting undergraduate students in developing critical media literacy and research skills. She is also a photographer, videographer and traveler, having visited more than 40 countries, which has strengthened her interest in cross-cultural communication and global perspectives.

She currently lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with her family, and through her interdisciplinary research at KU, she continues to connect communication scholarship with public policy, community advocacy, and social change.