▁teaching ▁and ▁travel ing ▁in ▁Asia , ▁Europe , ▁and ▁Central / S outh ▁America , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁to ▁ear n ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁communic ations ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Washington ▁ ▁and , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁a ▁Ph . D . ▁at ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Communic ations ▁Research ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ▁at ▁U rb ana – Ch amp aign , ▁with ▁a ▁th esis ▁" Media ▁Dem ocracy ▁De ferred : ▁The ▁Post war ▁S ett lement ▁for ▁U . S . ▁Communic ations , ▁ 1 9 4 5 - 1 9 4 9 ." ▁ ▁Academ ic ▁career ▁and ▁policy ▁work ▁Before ▁teaching ▁at ▁P enn , ▁Pick ard ▁was ▁an ▁assistant ▁professor ▁in ▁the ▁Media , ▁Culture , ▁and ▁Communic ation ▁Department ▁at ▁New ▁York ▁University . ▁ ▁Pick ard ▁also ▁designed ▁and ▁taught ▁the ▁inaug ural ▁Ver k lin ▁media ▁policy ▁course ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Virginia . ▁In ▁D . C ., ▁he ▁worked ▁on ▁media ▁policy ▁as ▁a ▁senior ▁research ▁fellow ▁at ▁the ▁media ▁reform ▁organization ▁Free ▁Press ▁and ▁the ▁public ▁policy ▁think ▁tank ▁the ▁New ▁America ▁Foundation . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁full - time ▁research er ▁at ▁New ▁America ' s ▁Open ▁Technology ▁Institute , ▁where ▁he ▁continues ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁senior ▁research ▁fellow . ▁He ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁media ▁policy ▁fellow ▁for ▁Congress w oman ▁D iane ▁Watson ▁and ▁spent ▁a ▁summer ▁conduct ing ▁research ▁as ▁a