Sean Ahern, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dr. Sean Ahern is a communication arts professor at Wayne State College.
Dr. Ahern received his Ph.D. in American Studies from the Department of Transnational Studies at the University at Buffalo in 2019. Dr. Ahern received his master’s in Popular Culture at Bowling Green State University in 2012 and earned his bachelor’s degree in Media and Communications from Colby-Sawyer College in 2009. His academic interests include gender, race, popular sport, and material culture. Dr. Ahern’s doctoral dissertation analyzed depictions of communist athletes in North American professional sports leagues in the 1990s. Dr. Ahern’s master’s thesis critiqued mass media messages within the music of punk rock band The Clash. Ahern advises KWSC-FM, Wayne State's on-campus radio station. Mixing his academic background with his passion for popular music and sports built a radio station that achieves state, regional, national (and international) accolades for student work. This includes awards from College Broadcasters Inc., Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems, Nebraska Broadcasters Association Pinnacle Awards, and the 2024 and 2025 Spirit of College Radio Award from the College Radio Foundation.
In the spring of 2025, Dr. Ahern received the State Nebraska Bank & Trust Teaching Excellence Award and the Nebraska State College System's Teaching Excellence Award for his work at Wayne State College.
Ahern also take ups several causes including mental health awareness, animal rescue, and protection of coastal shorelines.
Education
Ph.D. American Studies, University at Buffalo (SUNY), 2019
M.A. Popular Culture, Bowling Green State University, 2012
B.A. Communication Studies, Colby-Sawyer College, 2009
Publications
Ahern, Sean. “Let the Shillelagh Fly: Dropkick Murphys and Irish - American Hybridity.” Punk, Hardcore and Other Junk. Lexington Books. March 2014.
Ahern, Sean. “We FBA Now: Community Building in the Furry Basketball Association.” Popular Culture in the 21st Century. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. November 2013.
Grants
College Radio Station Grant. College Radio Foundation, March 2024.
Presentations
Ahern, Sean. “Talking about Failure.” Phi Kappa Phi Induction Ceremony. Wayne State College. April 2, 2026.
Ahern, Sean. “Sinners and Empire.” CatPAC Presents Sinners. Wayne State College, February 25, 2026.
Ahern, Sean. “Your Music Authority in 2025.” Nebraska High School Press Association. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. November 2025.
Ahern, Sean, Pat Janssen and Warren Kozireski. “Working With Your Administration.” CBI National Student Media Convention. Denver, CO. October 2025.
Ahern, Sean. “Your Music Authority: College Radio And Media Literacy Through the Education of KWSC.” Summer Faculty Academy. Wayne State College, Nebraska. May 2025.
Panels
Ahern, Sean, Grace Ellen Brannon, Erin Brummett, Tiffany R. Wang, Deborah L. Whitt. “Helping Undergraduate Students Find Their Place in the Communication Discipline.” National Communication Conference. New Orleans, Louisiana. November 18, 2022.