Monica Ganas, Ph.D., currently serves as a professor in the Department of Theater, Film, and Television at Azusa Pacific University. Her areas of scholarship and teaching include popular culture, film, television, and other media, as well as theater, community development, and communication for social change.
When it came time to take a sabbatical from teaching for a semester, Ganas was unsure of what to do next. After praying, she felt that God was leading her to write a book. Now, six years later, the book has been published.
Under the Influence: California's Intoxicating Spiritual and Cultural Impact on America explores what Ganas calls "California-ism" and how this "quasi-religion" affects its followers. Ganas believes the skin-deep values of Hollywood culture attempt to captivate California residents and plague the rest of the country, even the world, to attempt to measure up to impossible standards of perfection.
From a combination of growing up in Hollywood and working in the television industry prior to teaching, Ganas understands the effects the entertainment culture can have on young people. She serves on the organizational boards of the City of Angels Film Festival and Reel Spirituality, is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences, and chairs the California Culture area of the Regional Popular Culture Association.
Ganas holds a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky; an M.A. from San Francisco State University; and a B.A. from San Francisco State University.
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