Tom Hallaq, Ed.D.

Associate Professor, Internship coordinator
thallaq@ksu.edu

Dr. Tom Hallaq is a media literacy researcher and documentary filmmaker. He is the creator of the Digital Online Media Literacy Assessment (DOMLA), a self-assessment tool employed globally to gauge media literacy among students from middle school to university levels. His research efforts, both individually and collaboratively, have secured over $700,000 in funding.

Dr. Hallaq's professional background includes extensive experience in live television production and direction. He was a key member of the startup news team for KSTU Fox 13 in Salt Lake City, UT were he also produced for the Utah Jazz broadcasts. Additionally, he has served as a News Operations Manager for WDEF-TV, CBS, in Chattanooga, TN, and for KNDU-TV, NBC, in Kennewick, WA.

As an award-winning documentary filmmaker, Dr. Hallaq focuses on issues affecting Kansans. His 2016 documentary, Slow & Low: The story of the Kansas ag. pilot, highlights the lives of agricultural pilots, formerly known as crop dusters, and received multiple awards, including a Telly Award and an Aegis Award. In 2021, he collaborated with the late Dr. Ian Punnett to produce The Empty Breadbasket: When the land that feeds the nation cannot feed itself a documentary that explores food access challenges in rural Kansas and celebrates community-driven solutions. This work earned a Silver Telly Award.

Dr. Hallaq holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Communications from Brigham Young University, a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Instructional Media and Technology from Eastern Washington University and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership with a focus on Instructional Methods and Design from Idaho State University where he was also on the faculty as an Assistant Professor.

Theoretically speaking, Dr. Hallaq is a constructivist, promoting the idea that learning is most effective when concepts are applied to real-life situations to build new knowledge. His research and creative interests encompass media literacy, media accessibility, and documentary storytelling with an emphasis on food accessibility.