Creator Bio: Scott A. Lukas (Ph.D. Rice University, 1998) is professor of Anthropology & Sociology at Lake Tahoe Community College. He is the author/editor of Theme Park (2008), The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nature, and Self (2007), Fear, Cultural Anxiety, and Transformation: Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy Films Remade, (co-edited with John Marmysz, 2009), Recent Developments in Criminological Theory (co-edited with Stuart Henry, 2009), Strategies in Teaching Anthropology (co-editor, 2010), The Immersive Worlds Handbook (Focal, forthcoming, 2012). He appeared in the documentary The Nature of Existence. He has been recognized with the McGraw-Hill Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching of Anthropology by the American Anthropological Association (2005), a Sierra Arts Foundation Artist Grant Program Award in Literary–Professional (2009) and the California Hayward Award for Excellence in Education (2003).
Background: Gender Ads.com was created in 2002 to provide gender studies educators and students with a resource for analyzing the advertising images that relate to gender. Its founder, Dr. Scott A. Lukas, had produced a PowerPoint (see the History page) that focused on gender and advertising, and because students had requested copies of the presentation, he decided to produce a Web site to host the images and interpretations. Since the PowerPoint was produced with 100 images, the website has grown to over 4,000 advertising images, and it is one of the largest collections of gender-related advertising materials on the Internet. Dr. Lukas has used his Web site to connect with other gender studies educators, and he frequently responds to interpretive requests from scholars and students throughout the world. He has served on the Ratings Advisory group of the national advocacy organization Dads & Daughters and has presented his Web site to national audiences, including the National Women Studies Association.