She holds a master’s degree and doctorate in communications from Cornell University, where her work focused on organizational communication and new technologies as applied to telecommuting. With research interests in new technologies, pedagogy and religion and media, Sturgill has published in numerous outlets, including the Journal of Media and Religion, Teaching and Learning Inquiry and the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication and presented work at academic and professional meetings in North America, Asia and Europe. She is past head of both the Communication Technology Division and the Media and Religion Interest group for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications and is presently co-facilitating an international research group focusing on integrating global learning in the university experience.