Serena Sandweiss is an aspiring journalist, writer, and cultural critic. A native of New Haven, CT, Serena graduated from the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 2024 with a joint Master of Arts (Hons.) degree in International Relations and Film Studies. While at St Andrews, Serena researched and wrote extensively on the numerous intersections between IR and film theory, including an essay on themes of US hegemonic decline in “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022) selected for publication in the University of St Andrews Arts and Divinity Faculty Journal. Her research ultimately culminated in a year-long interdisciplinary dissertation titled “The Consequences of the ‘You-Are-There’ Aesthetic: Authenticity, Ambiguity, and the Role of the War Film in Shaping Public Memory of the Global War on Terror” which examined the effects of US Department of Defense production support in constructing narratives of ambiguity in mainstream US war cinema of the post-9/11 period. Upon graduation, Serena was honored to receive the 2023-24 Richard Dyer Prize, awarded annually to the top-performing Film Studies graduate. Two of her essays were among six nominated for the Anita Loos Award for most outstanding undergraduate research essay.
Following previous work experience in PR and communications at the Center for Artistic Activism and the St Andrews Charity Fashion Show, Serena is eager to pivot to the world of broadcast journalism production, and welcomes any and every professional inquiry! You can read her previous academic writing here, and her more recent blog posts are available here.
Serena Sandweiss 