College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 5219
Fax: (626) 387-5747
Email: tparham@apu.edu
Office Location: Building 3, Room 167, TFT Suite
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 11 a.m.-12p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 3-4 p.m.

Thomas Parham, Ph.D., is an associate professor of Theater, Film, and Television at Azusa Pacific University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and spent seven years on active duty, during which he qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer. Parham left the Navy to complete a doctorate in communication studies at Regent University. He has written for the CBS drama JAG and the Family Channel sitcom Big Brother Jake, and also served as the on-location writers' assistant for the third season of Touched by an Angel.

Parham has executive produced several award-winning student films, including "Giving Her Away," "Jaded," and "Robbie Mullins," and he has directed stage productions of Dinner with Friends, Dracula, and The Skin of Our Teeth. He also co-wrote the musical comedy Inside Out and the "dramedy," Steeple Chasers.

Ph.D. - Regent University, 1995
M.A. - Regent University, 1992
B.A. - Naval Academy, 1985

Presentations
Parham, Thomas. Science Fiction for Grown-Ups: Sex, Politics, and Religion on Battlestar Galactica, presented at the Popular Cultural Association Conference, Atlanta, 2006.

Parham, Thomas. On Academic Rigor at the Christian University, presented at the National Communication Association Conference, Boston, 2005.

Parham, Thomas. Mistrust in Government as Portrayed on American Television, presented at the Oxford Round Table, 2007.

Parham, Thomas. Cinematic Television: Maturation of a Medium, presented at the Popular Cultural Association Conference, Boston, 2007.

Parham, Thomas. Behind Good and Evil: Free Will and the One Ring in Middle-earth, presented at the National Communication Association Conference, Miami Beach, 2003.

Publications
Parham, Thomas. "Why Do Heathens Make the Best Christian Films?" Behind the Screen: Hollywood Insiders on Faith, Film, and Culture, Baker Books, (2005).

Parham, Thomas. "Losers, Weepers," an essay on The Bicycle Thief for City of Angels Film Festival program, 2003.

Parham, Thomas. "Heroes in Crisis: Postmodern Deconstruction and Reconstruction," in The Gospel According to Super-Heroes, Peter Lang Publishing, (2005).

View All Professional/Scholarly Presentations

Consulting Engagements
Moderator, panel discussion, The Gospel According to Comic Books, sponsored by Inter-Mission, Hollywood Presbyterian Church, Hollywood, 2007

Moderator, panel discussion,Christian Comic Arts Society, Comic-Con International, San Diego, 2007

Host, panel discussion on "Reality v. Verity," Reel Spirituality conference, Los Angeles, 2005

Host, panel discussion on Capote, Reel Spirituality conference, Los Angeles, 2006

Facilitator, panel discussion, "Lights! Camera! Comics!" conference, Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, 2005

Industry Experience
Tonton Julian, Once on This Island, a senior capstone production, Mary Hill Theater, Azusa Pacific University, 2007

Director, The Skin of Our Teeth, Mary Hill Theater, Azusa Pacific University, 2004

Director, Dracula, Mary Hill Theater, Azusa Pacific University, 2006

Director, Dinner with Friends, Mary Hill Theater, Azusa Pacific University, 2005

View All Professional Experience

2007 Faculty of the Year Award from Act One, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to the training of Christians for careers in mainstream film and television
2007 Edition of Who’s Who in America
2005 Edition of Who’s Who among America’s Teachers
2004 Edition of Who’s Who among America’s Teachers
2002 Edition of Who’s Who among America’s Teachers

Parham is a self-professed "science fiction/comic book geek" and wrote his doctoral thesis on Star Trek: The Next Generation.