Professor Dixon received his B.A. in Communication Studies from UCLA.  He then received his M.A. and doctorate from the University of California, Santa Barbara.  Professor Dixon is a media effects scholar specializing in investigating the prevalence of stereotypes in the mass media and the impact of stereotypical imagery on audience members.  He was the 2013 Visiting Philanthropy Faculty Scholar at the Clinton School of Public Service.  In 2019, he became the first African American scholar inducted as a fellow of the International Communication Association, one of the highest honors in the Communication discipline.  In addition to the dozens of articles Dr. Dixon has published in leading Communication journals, he has received multiple top paper awards from the National Communication Association and the International Communication Association. Dr. Dixon also serves on the editorial boards of some of the leading journals in his field, including Communication Monographs, Communication Research, Human Communication Research, Howard Journal of Communications, Media Psychology, and the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. Much of Dr. Dixon's work examines racial stereotyping in television news. His more recent investigations scrutinize the content and effects of stereotypes and counter-stereotypes in major news events, social media, and musical contexts.  He is the David L. Swanson Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication, and he has partnered with community groups attempting to address racial inequity.