Assistant Professor
Dr. Margaret Ndwandwe is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Berry College. A filmmaker and scholar of rhetoric and media, she explores the intersections of visual storytelling, regional identity, and public memory. Her research and creative practice engage with documentary film, multimodal communication, and digital humanities to illuminate how stories of race, place, and history are constructed and contested in the American South.
Her dissertation, Seeing the South: Racism, Reclamation & Memory-Making in the Upstate, examined the politics of representation and memory in Union County, South Carolina. Dr. Ndwandwe’s films and installations, such as King and the Klan: A Visual Experience and Restoring Rose Hill, have been showcased at universities and public institutions, bridging scholarly inquiry and community dialogue.
She holds a Ph.D. in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media from North Carolina State University, an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University, and a B.A. in Communication Studies from Campbell University. Her scholarship has appeared in Afterimage, Hyperrhiz, and the Carolinas Communication Journal.
At Berry, Dr. Ndwandwe teaches courses in content creation, digital media strategy, and documentary storytelling. She is committed to cultivating ethically grounded, community-engaged communication practices that engages students in how to use media for social understanding and change.
Education
- Ph.D., Communication, Rhetoric & Digital Media - North Carolina State University
- M.A., Interactive Media - Elon University
- B.A., Communication Studies, Magna Cum Laude - Campbell University
Teaching Interests
- Documentary and Visual Storytelling/Rhetoric
- Digital and Social Media Strategy
- Content Creation and Production
- Media and Cultural Studies
- Film/Documentary Production
Research Interests
- Visual Rhetoric and Public Memory
- Documentary Film and Media Production
- Southern Identity and Regional Narratives
- Digital Humanities and Multimodal Scholarship
- Ethics and Representation in Filmmaking
Field Experience
- Filmmaker, Seeing the South (2025)
- Filmmaker, King and the Klan: A Visual Experience (2024)
- Filmmaker, Restoring Rose Hill (2023)
- Co-Creator, Algo(rhy)thms and Esse Quam Videri: Make America Again
- Creative Developer, Virtual MLK Project, NC State University
- Communications Coordinator, Bound Together: Eswatini Partnership
Selected Publications
- Baker, M. & Dufresne, K. (2025). “A State of People, Places, Animals, and Things: Esse Quam Videri + Make America Again.” Hyperrhiz.
- Dial, A.J. & Baker, M. (2024). “Algo(rhy)thms.” Afterimage.
- Baker, M. (2023). “Rewriting Public Memory: Documentary Filmmaking and the Restoration of Rose Hill.” Carolinas Communication Journal.
- Baker, M. (2024). “Between the Camera and the Self: Positionality and Reflexivity as a Scholar-Maker.” in Positionality Stories in Storied Practices.
- Baker, M. (2022). “Remixing Apartheid: An Analog/Digital Experience.” In Media Res.
Professional Associations
- National Communication Association (NCA)
- Southern States Communication Association (SSCA)
- Digital Humanities Collaborative of North Carolina