University Professor Patricia Aufderheide, an internationally known media scholar and fair use advocate, has been recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) as a 2026 Documentary Silver Circle Honor Society inductee. The Gold & Silver Circle Honor Society recognizes exceptional individuals who have made significant and impactful contributions to the television industry and their respective fields. Inductees to the Silver Circle have performed distinguished service and exhibited inspirational careers for 25 years.  

Aufderheide, who joined American University School of Communication faculty in 1989, has made an outsized impact on several areas of communication studies, including the role of independent and documentary filmmaking in both education and advocacy; the impact of copyright law and the fair use doctrine on media development, distribution and consumption; and public television, an industry in which she has been both a journalist and academic.  

Her multiple appointments at AU and other universities demonstrate her reputation as a collaborator with an avid intellectual curiosity. In addition to her post as University Professor in Communication Studies, she is affiliate faculty in the School of International Service and the History department at American University, and a member of SOC's Film and Media Arts division. She founded the SOC's Center for Media & Social Impact, formerly the Center for Social Media, where she continues as Senior Research Fellow. She has been a Fulbright Research Fellow in Brazil (1994-5), Australia (2017), and South Korea (2024). She was also a John Simon Guggenheim fellow (1994). 

She has produced a multitude of published works, including several books and innumerable journal articles, many in partnership with AU colleagues and PhD and MFA students. Research topics range from fair use to podcasting to media literacy and the ethics of documentary filmmaking.   
 
With such a sweeping list of career accomplishments, the addition of the NATAS Silver Circle honor to Aufderheide’s lengthy list of awards and accolades, is impressive, but not surprising. It’s no wonder that she is a sought-after PhD Thesis advisor and academic partner.