Margaret Schwartz, P.h.D, associate professor of communication and media studies, published a book entitled “Dead Matter: The Meaning of Iconic Corpses.” The novel investigates the connection between photography and embalming, particularly regarding mourning practices and aesthetics. Specifically, she explores the practice of postmortem photography, in which photographers pose the corpses so they look relaxed and at ease in order to provide mementos for loved ones. Additionally, she discusses the phenomenon of martyrs or dead celebrities, like Emmett Till or Princess Diana, and how they become representative of larger groups. Schwartz received her P.h.D from the University of Iowa. Her research includes detailing the relationship between the material world and the mediated world. She teaches Media and Materiality, Gender Images and Media, Introduction to Communication and Media Studies, Theories of Media, Culture and Society and Death and Celebrity and Media.