In Memoriam: Paromita Sengupta, Assistant Professor of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts

Paromita Sengupta, assistant professor of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (BECA), passed away in early November 2020. Sengupta joined the SF State faculty this fall and was teaching two courses, Critical Study of Popular Culture and Age of Information. She was 31.

Sengupta had an interdisciplinary background in English, media studies and communication. She graduated with a Ph.D. in communication from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California in 2020. Her research and teaching focused on the intersection between digital media, popular culture, humor and civic engagement, and she worked with activist organizations both in the U.S. and India to create multimedia projects that increased social consciousness and media literacy.

“Professor Sengupta was a vibrant, brilliant scholar who was passionate about using media to promote social justice and civic engagement,” BECA Chair Sami Reist said in a message to Sengupta’s students. “She was warm, funny and very enthusiastic about sharing knowledge and ideas with her students. We will miss her deeply.”

Sengupta is survived by her parents, Amita and Aniruddha Sengupta, of Kolkata, India.

The BECA Department is collecting memories and messages about Professor Sengupta to share with her family. Please send them to beca@sfsu.edu.