Prof. Lamia Zia, an academic and researcher, having over a decade of extensive experience in international and digital communication. Currently, she is a teaching Cybersecurity, digital communication, mediated communication, and communicating in a global society at the Department of Communication, University of Maryland. Before moving to Maryland, she taught at the College of Media and Communication, Texas Tech University. Her academic journey is marked by an impressive array of qualifications, holding three cross-disciplinary Master’s degrees in Political Science, Development Communications, and Journalism. Presently, she is pursuing her doctorate in Statecraft and National Security at the Institute of World Politics, with a focus on cybersecurity within digital communication. Lamia’s research interests are multifaceted, encompassing visual communication, conflict resolution, public diplomacy, and soft power, with a particular focus on the intersection of war and imagery. She has also served as a senior fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict (IPAC) at Texas Tech University, where her research was centered around the influential role of iconic imagery in shaping perceptions of peace and conflict in South Asia, with a special focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan. This important work has notably enhanced the understanding of how visual media can impact and potentially transform regional conflict dynamics and peace initiatives.