Laura V. Martinez

Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
Expertise: Organizational communication, Sports communication, Gender disparities in sports, Occupational role fulfillment, Identity disparities, boundaries, and development, Managing burnout and self-care

Biography

Laura V. Martinez is an expert in organizational communication, along with disparities and development in finding identity, and acceptance in our occupational roles.

Martinez is an assistant professor in UNLV’s Department of Communication Studies. She’s also a professional circus acrobat with experience in stage management and event production. Her research has blended the two — focusing on establishing identity within a complex set of normalized roles, body work (sustaining and enduring pain as an expectation of employment), and materiality in non-traditional organizational contexts such as artistic-athletic organizations (circus).

Her work has been featured in academic and professional publications including the Journal of Autoethnography, Journal of Applied Communication Research, and Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Communication Studies, Arizona State University
  • M.A. in Communication Studies, California State University, Fullerton
  • B.A. in Communication Studies, California State University, Fullerton

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Laura V. Martinez In The News

City Cast Las Vegas
Ahead of World Circus Day this Saturday, we’re taking a look behind the curtain at the physical strain performers endure for their careers. Las Vegas is a major destination for acrobats, but our city lacks the protections and medical care needed to help manage the pain that accompanies their dazzling skills. UNLV professor and aerial performer Laura Martinez studies the culture of the circus industry and how they discuss pain. She joins co-host Dayvid Figler to explain this behind-the-scenes dynamic — and how Las Vegas commodifies performers’ bodies.

Articles Featuring Laura V. Martinez

UNLV seasonal eggs
Campus News | May 1, 2025

A collection of colorful headlines featuring UNLV staff and students.