A Remarkable Story
Dr. Spring Duvall
Bringing a communication and media lens to issues of public health and equity
Dr. Spring Duvall, Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, joined the Salem community in 2014. Originally from Mississippi, she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. After completing her graduate studies at Indiana University, she returned to the South when she received a position at USC before transitioning to Salem College.
Over the past 12 years at Salem, Dr. Duvall has taught a full range of communication and media studies courses, from health communication to public speaking and digital storytelling. She also teaches Salem 350, the capstone course required for all Salem College seniors, which she centers on the theme of maternal equity because, she said, “Quite a bit of my research and teaching in gender studies is focused on motherhood and representations of motherhood, whether that’s in entertainment media or news media, and how people use social media and media to talk about motherhood and breastfeeding.”
Dr. Duvall’s scholarly focus on communication, gender, and equity has inspired her to venture into local advocacy work. She created a website to connect families in the Winston-Salem community with nonprofit organizations, hospital systems, and clinical and social support services, as many are unaware of the resources available to them.
“I’ve been doing local advocacy, but also studying local organizations that are trying to help breastfeeding families feel supported and get the resources they need. It can be challenging to get the word out about these resources, so I’m working on promoting these resources for people who need them,” she explained. “My website serves as a resource hub, and I have been working on finding ways existing resources, whether clinical or social, can be better promoted so people know their options. My communications goal is to promote resources and spread information locally.”
During the spring 2026 semester, Dr. Duvall was invited to become an affiliate member of the Maya Angelou Research Center for Healthy Communities (MARCH) at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The center’s mission is “to advance access to health resources and outcomes through rigorous research, inclusive partnerships, and transformative education,” with priority areas in rural health, faith health, mobile health units, and global health. On joining MARCH, Dr. Duvall said, “I had met with the staff there while I was doing my research, and I knew they were an organization I wanted to be more involved with. My affiliation with MARCH will help open doors for more advocacy and community work.”
By combining her background in communication studies, her teaching expertise, and her passion for creating healthier, more equitable communities, Dr. Duvall is improving access to health information and resources for families in need. Her work is a powerful example of how Salem College’s commitment to health leadership and equity transcends disciplines.