Robert Eschmann

Rob Eschmann is a scholar and filmmaker interrogating the effects of racism and the choices we can make to resist it. He writes on educational inequality, community violence, racism, social media, and youth wellbeing.

Much of Dr. Eschmann’s research investigates the effects of online experiences on real-world outcomes, bridging the gap between virtual and face-to-face experiences. His 2023 book, When the Hood Comes Off, explores the ways online communication changes how we experience, understand, and respond to racism.

Dr. Eschmann’s recent research has explored new media and storytelling as interventions and educational tools. He used participatory design to make CHOOSE YOUR OWN RESISTANCE, a research-based virtual reality (VR) experience that depicts different ways of responding to racial microaggressions.

Dr. Eschmann’s first short film, BLACK BLACK, is a dramedy about confronting racism that asks what it takes for people to see beyond their blind spots.

Dr. Eschmann has taught classes on race and racial justice, storytelling, urban education, social welfare policy, statistics, and program evaluation.

Dr. Eschmann received both his Master’s degree and his PhD in Social Service Administration at the Crown School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago. Prior to coming to Columbia, he was on the faculty at the Boston University School of Social Work, where he also served as Assistant Director of Research at BU’s Center for Antiracist Research.