Professor’s work explores punk’s cultural impact through scholarship, collaboration, and a forthcoming book on iconic band NOFX.
Ellen Bernhard, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Communication at Georgian Court University, continues to deepen her contributions to punk scholarship through organizing academic conferences, publishing new research, and serving in a national leadership role with the Punk Scholars Network.
This spring, Dr. Bernhard helped organize the Punk Scholars Network USA & Canada 3rd Annual Conference, held March 2–3 at the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada. As President of the Punk Scholars Network – US Affiliate, she played a key role in bringing together 24 presenters from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. for a mix of academic inquiry and immersive, hands-on engagement with punk culture and history.
As part of the event, Dr. Bernhard joined in a featured conversation about her forthcoming co-edited volume, NOFX: Forty Years of “Problematic” Punk Provocations, which will be published by Bloomsbury Academic in Summer 2025. The conversation was led by Michael “Fat Mike” Burkett, bassist and lead vocalist of NOFX and founder of the Punk Rock Museum. The volume, co-edited with David Pearson (Lehman College) and Stefano Morello (CUNY Graduate Center), is now available for pre-order.
The collection includes thirteen scholarly essays exploring the cultural and political impact of NOFX’s four-decade career. Known for their provocative lyrics, biting satire, and refusal to conform, NOFX has long occupied a unique space in the punk world—challenging societal norms and punk orthodoxy itself. The volume examines how their work engages with questions of identity, authenticity, decorum, and resistance.
“NOFX has always pushed people to think—sometimes uncomfortably—about their beliefs, their politics, and the world around them,” explained Dr. Bernhard. “This collection demonstrates that it is worth taking punk seriously not only as artistic expression, but as a form of cultural commentary.”
Dr. Bernhard is also the author of Contemporary Punk Rock Communities: Scenes of Inclusion and Dedication (2019), a study of how modern punk scenes across the country build inclusive, grassroots communities rooted in mutual support and shared values. Her research continues to focus on the intersections of music, media, identity, and cultural resistance.
At Georgian Court, she brings these conversations into the classroom, helping students think critically about communication in all its forms—from subcultures and social movements to mass media and popular culture. Through her scholarship and leadership as President of the Punk Scholars Network – US Affiliate, Dr. Bernhard is helping shape an emerging academic field while amplifying punk’s enduring relevance as a space for critique, connection, and creative expression.
