Elizabeth C Shallenberger | College of Media

Media Technology Center set to launch for 2022-2023 academic year

October 6, 2021 | Da Yeon Eom, Communications and Marketing Intern

Room 9 Gregory Hall — Gregory Hall Room 9 (circa 2014) was previously used as a collaboration classroom. The space will serve as the Media Technology Center by Fall 2022.

An idea long in the making—a Media Technology Center for students in the College of Media—will finally come to life in the basement of Gregory Hall during the 2022-2023 academic year.

The center was made possible by a generous $50,000 gift from Jim and Amy Schlueter to the College of Media Innovation Fund, and by a $100,000 investment from the Office of the Provost.

“We’re excited to establish a physical space that meets and supports instructional equipment needs for our students,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “We will have a variety of technology and resources that students can check out or access online. They can explore equipment that they’d like to use for class projects and receive guidance on how to use it from the staff.”

The project is just getting underway this fall. The college is currently clearing out furniture stored in Greg Hall Room 9, the future location of the center, so a new coat of paint and floor repairs can take place. Then equipment lockers will be added, as well as a workspace for students to experiment with new technology in time for Fall 2022 classes.

“Over the past few years, the College of Media has been taking important steps in pursuing the new technologies and innovative research that will give our students the opportunity to be future leaders in our fields,” said Jim Schlueter (BS ’80, journalism). “We are thrilled to help the college establish a place where our students can get access to the equipment, training, and assistance with using the tools they need. It’s our hope the center will be another special space in the basement of Greg Hall that will prepare our students for their careers and also be a place where they build great memories.”

Meghan Burnett, director of IT and operations for the College of Media, will be the staff lead for the renovation and launch of the facility.

“The Media Technology Center will provide students with a location to get some hands-on experience with different media technology,” Burnett said. “It will be a space where students can come to ask questions about their own equipment or to borrow something they need for an assignment.”

The College of Media is considering each department’s distinct needs in developing the facility. The Media Technology Center will enhance the services available to students, and at the same time, provide departments with flexibility.

Members of the college’s Technology Committee, which will play an important role in shaping the space, will work with their respective department heads to decide how the facility can best serve student and faculty needs.

The College of Media Innovation Fund supports projects like this, contributing to faculty and student research, technology advancements, and cutting-edge pedagogy. To give, please visit the College of Media giving page, click on the orange “Give Online Now” button, and select the College of Media Innovation Fund under “Champion Innovation in Media Research & Collaborations.”

Balz receives inaugural College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award

October 6, 2021 | Da Yeon Eom, Communications and Marketing Intern

When Dan Balz (BS ’68, MS ’72, journalism) arrived at the University of Illinois, he had no idea that he would choose journalism as his lifelong profession. His older brother, the late Doug Balz, who was also a journalism alumnus, had recommended that he join The Daily Illini. It was there that he fell in love with the craft as well as the camaraderie that he shared with fellow student journalists.

Balz, chief correspondent at The Washington Post, said his Illinois education and the College of Media have shaped his life and career in all kinds of ways, “from the classroom learning, to the mentoring from faculty members, to working on The Daily Illini, to the friendships that have been maintained. I am incredibly grateful for all of that.”

He has held a unique vantage point of history in the making, covering national politics since joining The Washington Post in 1978. He is also a regular panelist on PBS’s Washington Week, a frequent guest on other public affairs programs, and the author of several books on politics and elections, including two bestsellers.

Because of his extraordinary career, Balz has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award.

“This new annual award honors an alum whose career accomplishments and engagement with the College of Media are exemplary,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “Dan has greatly contributed to the profession of journalism, reporting on our democracy for four decades, and has generously supported the College of Media and our students over the years.”

“I really enjoy political reporting,” Balz said. “You get to go around the country, you learn about the politics in different states—which every state has its own rich political heritage—and it gave me the opportunity to cover presidential campaigns and to see the evolving nature of the person who eventually gets elected as the President of the United States.”

After working as a Capitol Hill intern during his sophomore year, Balz knew that he wanted to go to Washington, D.C., as a reporter. For most of his career, he has had front-row seats to the presidential candidates before they are bound by the trappings of the Oval Office, and he gets to observe how newly appointed presidents handle high-pressure situations.

For him, a presidential campaign is like a Rorschach test for the nation.

“The candidates are important, obviously, but a lot of it has to do with the mood of the country and what voters are looking for, and trying to understand all those forces that come together as a campaign,” Balz said. “To me, that has always been stimulating and that has always been different, so it keeps you fresh.”

Balz described political reporting as part biography. “You are watching people, and learning about people, and writing about people. But it also gives you a chance to understand the country and its history.”

Some of his most memorable stories include covering the election of President Barack Obama and the death of Princess Diana.

“The 2008 election campaign was just infused with history and the competition between [Barack] Obama and [Hillary] Clinton was unlike anything that I have ever covered in a presidential campaign,” Balz said.

“The death of Princess Diana was also just an incredible story, in part because it was so revealing of the country as a whole, and the outpouring of anger towards the Royal Family and the tabloid media,” he added.

He said the most rewarding part of his career is to have been at The Washington Post for as long as he has been. He considers it to be a great fortune to have worked under talented editors and to continuously learn from other members of the newsroom for more than 40 years.

“In a sense, I have had to reinvent myself every few years as faces change and demands change and stories change,” Balz said. “That, for me, journalistically, has been the greatest thing.”

For journalism students, Balz shared: “As you start out as a journalist, you will see that every great journalist, no matter what they do, there’s intellectual curiosity, desire to read widely, a fundamental energy to chase and get the story, and a self-critical nature of never believing you’ve figured out how to do the job as good as it ought to be done.”

Davis receives inaugural College of Media Emerging Leader Award

October 6, 2021 | Da Yeon Eom, Communications and Marketing Intern

Suheily Natal Davis (BS ’04, broadcast journalism), senior director of global diversity, equity, and inclusion at McDonald’s, has led a life of championing others through her professional and personal endeavors.

She felt the difference that a welcoming community and a strong support system can make during her time at the University of Illinois.

“I think there were so many instances where such a big school felt very cozy and warm because of how other diverse students looked out for some of us who were coming in, especially from Chicago,” Davis said.

Davis notably has compassion for others—whether helping people navigate the legal system, encouraging underrepresented populations to work in law, or providing resources to expectant families.

Because of the impact of her work and volunteerism, Davis has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the College of Media Emerging Leader Award.

“We created this new annual award to honor an alum whose early career accomplishments and engagement with the College of Media are exemplary,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “We’re proud to acknowledge the important work that Suheily has dedicated her career to, while serving her community in leadership roles, and engaging with and supporting students in the College of Media.”

Davis currently serves on the board of directors for the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation and the National Employment Law Council. She previously served on the College of Media’s Leadership Council, on the board of directors for the Diverse Attorney Pipeline Program, and on the associate board for CARPLS, the largest provider of free legal aid to Chicago area residents. Davis also stays very close to her roots on the south side of Chicago through the graduate chapter of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, by working on mentorship programs aimed at supporting young girls from her neighborhood.

Davis has also held leadership roles in legal organizations aimed specifically at increasing the meaningful retention and participation of women of color in the legal profession, both the Puerto Rican Bar Association of Chicago and the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago. In 2017, Davis was named by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin as one of the top 40 attorneys under 40 to watch.

“In my house we didn’t always have much, but what we did have we always shared with anyone who needed it. The truth is, I would not be in the rooms I am in today had it not been for others who invested in my development and brought me along with them,” Davis said. “The least I can do to honor the people who created opportunities for me is to help open doors and break down barriers for others. The experiences I have had serving my community, legal or otherwise, have helped give me so much perspective and serve as constant reminders that we are all better when we work together.”

She joined McDonald’s Corporation in 2014 as senior counsel for global labor and employment, where her work primarily focused on counseling around issues of fair treatment in the workplace, including maintaining a safe and respectful workplace free of harassment and discrimination of any kind. In 2019, after working exclusively with McDonald’s U.S. business, Davis transitioned into the role of general counsel for McDonald’s Latin American markets. During her time in the legal department, Davis helped develop and lead the legal department’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. She was promoted this year to her current role, in which she partners with the McDonald’s U.S. leadership team to drive strategic diversity initiatives.

“The role combines my passion for equity and fairness with my love for counseling, people, development, and community service,” Davis said. “My best days are when I get to work alongside one of our leaders to help them grow in their journey to be more inclusive and empathetic, or when I get to weigh in on how our brand will use our size and scope to produce meaningful change in society. This is a big, new role with a lot of responsibility, but I am honored that I get to do this work.”

Her roots in journalism stemmed from being fascinated with news and people’s stories. (So much so that her childhood punishment was that she couldn’t watch the news or her favorite investigative shows, 20/20 and Dateline.)

“I think that journalism to me felt like a very good vehicle to learn more about people and how they function, what makes them tick and also to think about whose stories are being told and whose stories are being left behind,” Davis said.

It was during a First Amendment course in journalism at the University of Illinois when Professor Steve Helle, noting that the subject matter sparked excitement in her, pulled her aside and asked if she ever considered pursuing law as a profession.

After discussing it with her family, she decided to follow that career path and eventually earned her JD from DePaul Law School.

Other experiences at the University of Illinois influenced her dedication to inclusion.

She recalled how she was the only person of color in her first class as a college student and realized she would need to navigate spaces with people of different backgrounds, communicating about differences, and across cultures.

“I feel like I grew a lot,” Davis said. “I was stretched in different ways beyond just academics. That concept of lifting while you climb and making room at the table for everyone, that collaborative nature, is something that was fostered at the time I was in college.”

Davis has been lifting others in many ways. Six years ago, she and her husband started a foundation called The Perfect Cadence following the tragedy of losing their daughter. The foundation provides baby showers and celebrations for families who do not have access to resources, and it also provides support for families who have experienced similar losses.

“For me, frankly, I had to give some sort of meaning to that loss to be able to cope,” Davis said. “The foundation was a way to create memories that could stand in place of the memories that we couldn’t have with our daughter, and it’s given us just that.”

Davis has come a long way since being a college student who regularly battled self-doubt. She offered words of encouragement for current students:

“Trust that you are here for a reason, your voice matters, your instinct and your presence are valuable,” Davis said. “There’s frankly so much in the world to deter you and you may have your own difficulties or conflicts, but trust that you are right where you are supposed to be and take a moment to enjoy what’s around you.”

ICR student accomplishments in 2020-2021

Congratulations to our students in the Institute of Communications Research for all of their hard work in the 2020-2021 academic year. They have written articles for publication, edited a journal, presented research at conferences, and received numerous awards, grants, and honors. Below is a roundup of their accomplishments.

PUBLICATIONS

Craft, S., & Kristensen, M. (2020). Noise and the Values of News. In M. Powers & A. Russell (Eds.), Rethinking Media Research for Changing Societies (pp. 78-88). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108886260.006

Goel, K., Cai, S., Ogwal, S., Wong, A., Engel, L.C., & McCarthy, C. (2020). The world before us: reappraising globalization in education in the tumult of contemporary change, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, DOI: 10.1080/01596306.2020.1836744

Gu, J. (2021). Regulating Obscenity in Chinese Livestreaming: An Ongoing Mediation between the Private and the Public, the Nation and the Market. Asiascape: Digital Asia, 8, 71-92.

Ham, C. D., Chung, U. C., Kim, W. J., Lee, S. Y., & Oh, S. H. (In press). Greener than Others? Exploring Generational Differences in Green Purchase Intent. International Journal of Market Research. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/14707853211034108

Ham, C. D., Ryu, S., Lee, J., Chung, U. C., Buteau, E., & Sar, S. (Accepted for publication) Intrusive or Relevant? Exploring How Consumers Avoid Native Facebook Ads through Decomposed Persuasion Knowledge. Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising.

Hu, X., & Wise, K. (2021). How playable ads influence consumer attitude: Exploring the mediation effects of perceived control and freedom threat. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 15(2), 295-315, DOI: 10.1108/JRIM-12-2020-0269.

Hu, X., & Yao, M. Z. (2021). Judging a book by its cover: Investigating consumer responses toward sponsored YouTube product review videos. Journal of Media Business Studies, DOI: 10.1080/16522354.2021.1960721.

Jarreau, P. B., Su, L. Y.-F., Chiang, E. C.-L., Bennett, S. M., Zhang, J. S., Ferguson, M., & Algarra, D. (2021). COVID ISSUE: Visual Narratives About COVID-19 Improve Message Accessibility, Self-Efficacy, and Health Precautions. Frontiers in Communication, 6(164). https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2021.712658

Jiang, H., & Zhang, M. (2021). Online information adoption about public infrastructure projects in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 310, 127527.

Kang, Y. (2021). Beyond the layout: reading South Korean animations as affective-performative assemblages, Feminist Media Studies, DOI: 10.1080/14680777.2021.1939401

Khan, A., Natarajan, S., & Bhalla, S. (2021). Climate Strikes in Millennial India: Social Capital and “On-Ground” Networks in Digital-First Movements. Communication, Culture and Critique. https://doi.org/10.1093/ccc/tcab035

Kim, W. J., Ryoo, Y. (Accepted for publication) Hypocrisy Induction: Using Chatbots to Promote COVID-19 Social Distancing. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

Kim, W. J., Ryoo, Y.,Yoon, S., & Kim, K. (Accepted for publication) Ethical Dissonance in Environmental Advertising: Moderating Effects of Self-Benefit vs. Other-Benefit Appeals. International Journal of Advertising.

Lee, S.Y., Yao, M., & Su, L.Y.-F. (In press). Unpopular Opinions vs Trolling: What can Dark Personalities Predict? Telematics and Informatics. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2021.101645

Lim, D., Lin, J.S., Chung, U.C., & Ko, Y. (2021). The role of construal fit in threat appeal to persuade young drivers not to text while driving. Journal of Social Marketing, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSOCM-06-2020-0109

Liu, Q., Tang, Q., & Wang, Y. (2021). The effects of pretraining intervention in immersive embodied virtual reality cardiopulmonary resuscitation training. Behaviour & Information Technology, 1-13.

Liu, Q., Wang, Y., Tang, Q., & Liu, Z. (2020). Do You Feel the Same as I Do? Differences in Virtual Reality Technology Experience and Acceptance Between Elderly Adults and College Students. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2555.

Nelson, M.R., Das, S., & Ahn, R.J. (2020). A Prescription for Health: (Pseudo)Scientific Advertising of Fruits and Vegetables in the Early 20th Century. Advertising & Society Quarterly 21(1), doi:10.1353/asr.2020.0007.

Ryoo, Y. & Kim, W. J. (Accepted for publication) Social Norms and Compliance in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Health Communication

Samayeen, N., Wong, A., & McCarthy, C. (2020): Space to breathe: George Floyd, BLM plaza and the monumentalization of divided American Urban landscapes, Educational Philosophy and Theory, DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2020.1795980

Samayeen, N., Wong, A., & McCarthy, C. (2021). Espacio para Respirar: George Floyd, la Plaza CLM y la Monumentalización de los Paisajes Estadounidenses Urbanos Divididos. Revista Enfoques Educacionales, 17(2), 73-88. doi:10.5354/0717-3229.2020.60637

Shabalina, O.I., & Nelson, M.R. (2020). Knowledge and Experience of Targeting and Retargeting in Online Advertising across Age Cohorts. In L.P. Shestyorkina & L.K. Lobodenko (Eds.), Media communications and Internet marketing in digital civilization (Vol. 2, pp. 270-298). Chelyabinsk: South-Ural State University publishing center.

Wang, Y., & Yao, M. Z. (2020). Did you notice the ads? Examining the influence of telepresence and user control on the effectiveness of embedded billboard ads in a VR racing game. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 20(3), 258-272.

Wong, A. (2020). Mapping signs and making them stick: discursive power and the semiotic construction of a ‘world’s leader’, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, DOI: 10.1080/01596306.2020.1836748

Xu, X. (2021). Can Artificial Newscasters Bring Us Closer? A Comparison of Human and Artificial Newscasters on Outgroup Empathy. An extended abstract of 71st Annual International Communication Association Conference.

Zhang, M., Wang, X. and Hu, Y. (Accepted for publication), Strategic Framing Matters but Varies: A Structural Topic Modeling Approach to Analyzing China’s Foreign Propaganda about the 2019 Hong Kong Protests on Twitter, Social Science Computer Review.

JOURNAL EDITORSHIP

Goel, K., Cai, S., Ogwal, S., Wong, A., Engel, L.C., & McCarthy, C., (Eds.) (2021). Reassessing globalization: new perspectives on education in the tumult of global change, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education.

CONFERENCE PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS

Bhalla, S., & Ray, R. (2021). Foregrounding space and context: A discursive study of fact-checking in India. Presented at SACA-AEJMC.

Cano, A. A., & Perez S. (2020). The Chola Wannabe: A Chicana Reflection on Culture Appropriation of Chola and Aesthetics. Plática presented at the La Chola Conference, Oceanside, CA.

Cano, A. A. (2021). Panel presentation for the Social Dilemma Netflix Documentary Open Conversation at California State University of San Bernardino.

Chen, C., Hu, X., & Fisher, J. T. (2021). A systematic review of immersion: exploring the cognitive and social processes underlying immersive experiences. Paper accepted to be present at the National Communication Association 107th Annual Convention.

Chung, U. C., Ham, C. D., Lee, S. Y., Kim, W. J., & Oh, S. H. (2021). Understanding Ad-block Wall and Its Effects on Online Publisher and Advertising through Psychological Reactance. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Annual Conference, Virtual.

Chung, U. C., Ham, C. D., Lee, S. Y., Kim, W. J., & Oh, S. H. (2021). Understanding Ad-block Wall and Its Effects on Online Publisher and Advertising through Psychological Reactance. Korea Advertising Society (KAS) 2021 Global Colloquium, Gangneung, Korea.

Chung, U. C., Seok, A.Y., & Ham, C. D. (2021). Seeker or Sentry? Consumers’ Coping Mechanism with Third-Party Cookie Driven Advertising: Multidimensional Persuasion Knowledge Perspective. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Annual Conference, Virtual.

Gong, Z., Su, L. Y.-F., Zhang, J. S., Chen, T., & Wang, Y.-C. (2021). How Are Food Date Labels Associated with Consumer-level Food Waste? A Mixed-design Experiment. Presented at the 71st Annual Conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, virtual.

Gu, J. (2021). Mediating Intimacy and Performing Labor: Gender and Sexuality in Chinese Live/Life Streaming. Presented at the 71st Annual International Communication Association Conference, Virtual.

Gu, J. & Pyo, J. (2021). All-in-one Apps: Formation of Transnational Cultural Identity on WeChat and KakaoTalk, the 71st Annual International Communication Association Conference, Virtual.

Ham, C. D., Chung, U. C., Kim, W. J., Lee, S. Y., & Oh, S. H. (2021). Greener than Others? Exploring Generational Differences in Green Perceptions and Purchase Intentions of the US Consumer: Consumer Socialization and Social Intelligence Perspectives. American Academy of Advertising (AAA) Annual Conference, Virtual.

Ham, C. D., Chung, U. C., Kim, W. J., Lee, S. Y., & Oh, S. H. (2021). Greener than Others? Exploring Generational Differences in Green Perceptions and Purchase Intentions of the US Consumer: Consumer Socialization and Social Intelligence Perspectives. Korea Advertising Society (KAS) 2021 Global Colloquium, Gangneung, Korea.

Heo, S. J. (2021). Stick to the task when I am serious about my shopping: the effects of conversation styles of recommendation agents on consumer trust and privacy concerns. ICA annual conference.

Hu, X., & Chen, C. (2021). Visual or textual superiority effect? Investigating the effect of presentation format and individual processing propensity on mental imagery of online product information. American Academy of Advertising conference.

Kim, S.J., Lee, S.Y., Lee, H., Yao, S (2021). How News Usage and the Perceived Credibility of Government News Sources Contributed to Engaging in Preventive Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Korean American Communication Association Division of AEJMC annual conference, Virtual.

Kim, W. J., Ryoo, Y., & Yoon, S. K., Kim, K. (2020). Ethical Dissonance Influences on the Effectiveness of Other-Benefit versus Self-Benefit Appeals in Environmental Advertising. 2020 ICAMA-KAS International Conference. Online.

Kim, W. J., Ryoo, Y., Chung, U. C., & Kim, M. J. (2021). How Moral Failure Leverages Online Ethical Behaviors. American Academy of Advertising (AAA) Annual Conference, Virtual.

Kim, W. J., Ryoo, Y., Lee, S. Y., & Lee, J. A. (2021). Chatbot Advertising as a Double-edged Sword: The Roles of Regulatory Focus, Ad Personalization, and Privacy Concern. American Academy of Advertising (AAA), Online.

Kristensen, M., & Craft, S. (2020) Making News (Values) Relevant Again: A Ritual Approach. Journalism Division of ICA 2021.

Lee, H., Kim, S. J., Lee, S.Y., Yao, S., Wongmith, N., & Chock, T. M. (2021). Confusion about the Coronavirus: The effects of uncertainty on information seeking behaviors. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Virtual.

Lee, H., Kim, S. J., Yao, S., Lee, S.Y., and Chock, T. M. (2021). The Harder the Battle, the More We Talk: The Effects of Perceived Risk of Player-death on Game Enjoyment in Mobile FPS Game. Communication and Technology Division of the International Communication Association annual conterence, Virtual.

Lee, J. A., Lee, S. Y., Ryoo, Y., & Kim, W. J. (2021). Envying social media influencers makes me happy because I am inspired. International Communication Association (ICA), Online.

Lee, S.Y., & Yao, M.Z. (2021). Unpopular Opinions vs Trolling: What can Dark Personalities Predict? Communication and Technology Division of the International Communication Association annual conterence, Virtual.

McKasy, M., Cacciatore, M. A., Yeo, S. K., Zhang, J. S., Cook, J., & Olaleye, R. M. (2021). The Impact of Emotion and Humor on Support for Global Warming Action. Presented at the 71st Annual Conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, virtual.

Mukhopadhyay, A. (2021). Fragmented nation televised: “Buniyaad” and the narrative(s) of postcolonial India. Television Histories in Development conference hosted by the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision.

Mukhopadhyay, A. (2021). Racial Orders and Neoliberal borders: Digital media and Racialized citizenship during Covid in India. Royal Geographic Society Annual Conference. London, UK.

Nelson, M. R., Ham, C. D., Haley, E., & Chung, U. C. (2021). Political Advertising in the United States: Persuasion Knowledge and Support for Regulation in Social Media. American Academy of Advertising (AAA) Annual Conference, Virtual.

Oh, S. H., Lee, S.Y., Kim, W. J., Chung, U. C., & Ham C. D. (2021). The Differential Effects of News Media and Social Media on Health Prevention for E-cigarettes: Focusing on the Mediating Role of the Influence of Presumed Media Influence. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Annual Conference, Virtual.

Ray, R. (2021). Does SNS platform choice matter? Analyzing perceptions of the U.S-China trade conflict through item-response theory. Adjudged as one of the 4 promising student papers of the Information Systems Division of ICA.

Ray, R., Bhalla, S., Taneja, H. (2021). Do fact-checkers overcome partisan divides? An investigation of Indian Twitter users. The 71st Annual International Communication Association Conference.

Ryoo, Y., Jeon, Y.W., & Kim, W.J. (2021). Attributions of Blame Following Robot Serivce Failure, The 2021 Korean Society for Consumer Advertising Psychology (KSCAP) Annual Convention, Online.

Ryoo, Y., Soheil, K. Lee, J.A., Kim, W. J., & Sung, Y. (2020). When Does (Does not) Neutralization Lead to Prosocial Actions? 2020 ICAMA-KAS International Conference. Online.

Shabalina, O. (2020). Layout Complexity of Social Media Feeds and Goal-Oriented Visual Search Behavior. Attention & Perception Brown Bag series (Daniel Simons), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Shabalina, O., Hu, X., & K. Wise (2021). Trade-Off Between Layout Congruency and User Experience in Visual Search Behavior on Pinterest Boards. The virtual 104th Annual AEJMC Conference.

Valdivia A., Baez, J., Leon-Boys D., Perez S., & Cano, A. A. (2021). Quinceañera Studies: Intersectional Approaches to a 21st Century Mediated Latinidad. Panel presented at the Cultural Studies Association Conference

POLICY PAPERS

Chan, A., Wong, A., Oliver, M. (2021). Walking Through Time as One: Contextualizing the Impact of the Champaign County Community Coalition. Community Data Clinic in Partnership with the Champaign County Community Coalition.

AWARDS, GRANTS, HONORS

Bhalla, S. (2020-2023). Illinois Distinguished Fellowship

Cano, A. (2021) National Conference in American Higher Education Student Scholarship on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE).

Chung, U. C. (2021). Best Paper (second place) of the Korea Advertising Society (KAS). Greener than Others? Exploring Generational Differences in Green Perceptions and Purchase Intentions of the US Consumer: Consumer Socialization and Social Intelligence Perspectives. Global Colloquium, Awarded by Korea Advertising Society (KAS).

Gu, J. (2021). Donald and Barbara Smalley Graduate Research Fellowship, Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Hu, X. (2021). American Academy of Advertising (AAA) Graduate Student Scholarships.

Hu, X. (2021). Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Advertising Division Graduate Student Highlight https://mlashley4.wixsite.com/aejmcaddiv/xiaohan-catherine-hu

Kim, W. J. (2021). Best Conference Paper Award, Korean Society for Consumer Advertising Psychology Annual Convention

Kim, W. J. (2021). American Academy of Advertising (AAA) Graduate Student Scholarships

Kim, W. J. (2021). Best Paper of the Korea Advertising Society, 2021, Global Colloquium,

Kim, W. J. (2021). Graduate Student Conference Scholarship, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Lee, S.Y. (2021). Top Graduate Student Paper Award. Awarded by AEJMC-Korean American Communication Association (How News Usage and the Perceived Credibility of Government News Sources Contributed to Engaging in Preventive Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic).

Mukhopadhyay, A. (2021). Graduate College Dissertation Travel Grant.

Wong, A. (2020). Research Cluster Grant. Humanities Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Community Research Cooperative: Methodologies for Research Justice, with Anita Say Chan, Rachel Magee, Gilberto Rosas, & Karen Rodriguez’G

Wong, A. (2021). Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowship. Center for Global Studies, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign U.S. Department of Education Grant.

Wong, A. (2021). Minorities and Communication Paula Poindexter Student Grant: Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Project: Affective Communication within the Context of Localized Media: How journalism and local Asian and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAAPI) communities respond to the anti-Asian hate initiatives with Qinglin Luan and Jane Pyo

Wong, A. (2021). Student Sustainability Committee Grant. Student Sustainability Committee, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Project: Resuscitating Soil for Sustainable Futures. In collaboration with Dr. Esther Ngumbi, Dr. Faye Harrison, Dr. Krystal Smalls, Dr. Ann Yeung, Ken Salo, Lila Dodge and Chibundo Egwuatu

Wong. A. (2020). Research Cluster Grant. Humanities Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Problems in Decolonizing Academia, with Faye Harrison, Cameron McCarthy, Esther Ngumbi, Ken Salo, Krystal Smalls, Chibundo Egwuatu & Lila Dodge

Zhang, M. (2021). Grant from SICSS-Chicago (Summer Institute of Computational Social Science)

Wilson-Brown adds new dimensions to PR courses in College of Media

Carrie Wilson-Brown returned to campus this fall as a lecturer in the Department of Media & Cinema Studies and the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising. She previously attended the College of Media’s Institute of Communications Research as a graduate candidate in 1993 through 1999.

This semester, she is teaching new courses in Public Relations and Entertainment Industry, Becoming an Influencer, and Intro to Public Relations.

“I couldn’t be more honored to join the advertising and media and cinema studies faculties,” Wilson-Brown said. “This dual appointment gives me an opportunity to mentor students with varied media interests and a strong academic focus.”

Wilson-Brown said she is looking forward to connecting with digital-savvy students who are already comfortable creating social media content daily, which is an invaluable skill for those interested in influencer marketing and entertainment public relations.

She plans to develop and teach additional courses that fuse digital storytelling, video production, and public relations.

“I always strive to put classroom content into practice by creating course materials that aid academic discovery and community engagement,” Wilson-Brown said. “I want to expose students to the dynamism of public relations and content creation.”

Since 2001, she had been a faculty member at Eastern Illinois University where she received teaching honors including Outstanding Faculty Member.

Wilson-Brown received her bachelor’s and master’s from Eastern Illinois University, both with a focus on speech communication, and worked towards her doctorate at the University of Illinois concentrating on film and media studies, cultural studies, critical race studies, and Latina/o studies.

—Da Yeon Eom, Communications and Marketing Intern

ICR welcomes 2021 cohort

The Institute of Communications Research is excited to announce our newest cohort! Please learn more about their research interests in their profiles below and join us in welcoming them to the University of Illinois College of Media community this fall.

Tingyu Chen received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and her master’s degree in communication at Renmin University of China. With critical-cultural approaches to media study, she situates her research interests at the intersection of media industry practices, cultural studies, and media criticism. Her recent research focuses on realist media (mainly realist film and documentary) and the culture of production and consumption in contemporary China.

Kirby Cook received her master’s degree in advertising at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and her bachelor’s degree in classical languages and literature from the University of North Carolina – Greensboro. Kirby’s master’s thesis, “Evaluating Gender in Retail Servicescapes: Beyond the Heteronormative Binary Approach,” explored how retail companies communicate gender norms and how consumers of diverse backgrounds receive such messages and process shopping experiences. In her doctoral program, Kirby is interested in research pertaining to branding strategy, consumer behavior, and media effects as they relate to consumer identity. Prior to joining the ICR program, Kirby worked for UIUC as a career advisor and communications coordinator for Engineering Career Services at the Grainger College of Engineering, and as an international student advisor at the International Student and Scholar Services office. Before joining the University, Kirby worked abroad in Germany and South Korea as a consultant, adjunct lecturer, and high school English teacher.

Seo-Jeong (Rachel) Heo graduated from Yonsei University (South Korea), receiving her bachelor’s and master’s in communication. She also received a master’s degree in advertising at the University of Texas at Austin. She studies media psychology and marketing communications. Her research interest lies in understanding the social/moral implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and psychological processes in AI-powered technologies, Virtual Reality (VR), and social media. Her recent research focuses on exploring how people make moral judgments toward robots’ behaviors and how we can effectively implement AI in assisting people’s decision-making processes. She is also interested in online consumer privacy and gave a presentation about conversational agents and privacy at the 2021 International Communication Association conference.

Youngin Kang attained her master’s degree in gender, media and culture at Goldsmiths, University of London in 2018. As a new ICR student, she wants to examine the inextricable relations between individual subjectivities in producing, distributing, and appropriating “culture(s)” within various socio-political processes, which construct a discursive mega-text, with which we cognitively, materially, and affectively engage in our everyday lives. Her research interests focus primarily on the unique characteristics of contemporary South Korean popular culture, which are hybrid, albeit, distinctively Korean.

Ketan Krishna holds a master’s degree in media and cultural studies from TISS, Mumbai, and a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Hindu College, New Delhi. His research interests are centered around user-generated audio-visual content, art cultures on the internet, and technological change. His previous work includes writings on cinema and music. He has also worked as a documentary filmmaker and video editor on several projects.

Yan (Anna) Liu’s research interest lies in exploring consumer’s cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral responses to brand messages on social media from the socio- psychological perspective. Specifically, she is interested in the influence of relational factors in the process, such as online network, consumer’s relationship with message source, etc. Before joining ICR, she has been working as a professional marketing researcher in Ipsos for about four years.

Hall wins distinguished Cummings Gold Medal Award from AAF

June 22, 2021 | Da Yeon Eom, Communications and Marketing Intern

Steve Hall, a senior lecturer in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, received the 2021 Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award with a unanimous vote from the American Advertising Federation.

The award recognizes distinguished individuals for their service to advertising through volunteer work with the AAF, and this is the first time that it was given to an educator; previous winners have all been members of the industry.

“I’m extremely lucky to have so many incredible people in my life. Doing what I do wouldn’t be possible without amazing students, alumni, faculty, administrators, friends, family, industry professionals, and the American Advertising Federation,” said Hall, who has served as faculty advisor since 1997 for AAF Illinois, the largest student chapter in the nation.

“To be a part of Bart Cummings’ iconic legacy is special to me because of his connection to the University of Illinois as an alumnus, supporter of Charles. H. Sandage Department of Advertising, chair of the James Webb Young Board, and All-American athlete,” Hall added.

The award is named in honor of the late Bart Cummings (BS ’35, journalism), former Chief Executive Officer of Compton Advertising (now Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising), whose career was dedicated to industry service and to advancing the social and economic values of advertising. Cummings received honors such as induction to the Advertising Hall of Fame for his volunteer work serving as chair of the AAF, the 4As, the Ad Council, the Advertising Educational Foundation, and the AAF Foundation.

Echoing Cummings’ contribution to the advertising industry, Hall’s work in the Sandage Department of Advertising has helped shape the future of the field by teaching, mentoring, advising, and connecting students, alumni, and professionals in an array of industry immersion initiatives, activities, programs, and events.

“As educators, we should be teaching advertising students how to be students of life,” Hall said. “Teaching them to approach the world around them with curiosity, eagerness, and open-mindedness so they can achieve excellence in everything that comes their way—in whatever career path they decide to take—because the greatest reward an educator can receive is when their students do awesome work in careers they absolutely love.”

As AAF Illinois Faculty Advisor for more than 20 years, Hall has led National Student Advertising Competition teams to the finals, nominated more Most Promising Multicultural Student winners than any other university, and created countless industry immersion and engagement programs for AAF student members to Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Portland, and San Francisco.

“For decades, Steve selflessly devoted himself to nurturing the future leaders of advertising, both in and outside of the classrooms,” said Professor Mike Yao, head of the Sandage Department of Advertising. “He was a champion for experiential learning before experiential learning became cool. Steve’s dedication to teaching excellence and student professional development are truly inspirational.”

Hall has previously been recognized nationally as one of the best professors in the industry having received AAF’s Distinguished Advertising Educator Award, along with the University of Illinois Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, the Charles H. Sandage Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, and the AAF James S. Fish Aid to Advertising Education Award.

When designing curricula, Hall advocates for finding new and creative ways for faculty and students to learn from each other.

“Pedagogically, faculty should be willing to immerse themselves in myriad roles as educators, because significant learning also occurs when teachers become mentors, advocates, advisors, coaches, catalysts, facilitators, coordinators, collaborators, listeners, and participants in the educational process.”

Hall believes advertising education should immerse, connect, and inspire students so they can achieve great successes in their careers and shape the future in the best way possible.

“Advertising education should instill the maverick spirit of an inventor, conviction of a marathon runner, analytical mind of a scientist, empathy of a philanthropist, and creativity of a jazz musician in every student,” he said.

“It should constantly strive to develop professionals who are thought-leading ‘architects’ who have the ability to balance the most intricate details with an extraordinary vision—and create blueprints that set the standard for best practices in the industry.”

Ciafone receives Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

May 5, 2021

The Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching recognizes sustained excellence and innovative approaches in undergraduate teaching and contributions beyond classroom instruction that have an overall positive impact on undergraduate student learning. Amanda Ciafone, associate professor of media and cinema studies, was one of this year’s recipients.

Ciafone honed her classroom skills teaching large 500-student classes as well as smaller seminars, requiring an impressive range of pedagogical approaches and methodologies. Her nominator described her as committed to regularly examining the broader curriculum to ensure students’ academic, professional, and personal goals are met and challenged. She brings her keen attention to emergent curricular needs and the needs of students from different backgrounds—including underrepresented and historically marginalized students—to innovate a critical, publicly engaged education at Illinois.

See additional winners of the Campus Awards for Excellence in Instruction.

Stephanie Pérez

Email: smg8@illinois.edu

Research Interests

Stephanie is a PhD Candidate in Communications & Media at the Institute of Communications Research, where her work broadly encompasses mediated Latine/x teen girlhoods, quinceañera ontologies, and streaming media and platform consolidation. Her current projects merge media studies, girlhood studies, Latine/x studies, and cultural studies with reconceptualizations of visibility, presence, resonance, nationhood, and belonging. She holds a B.A. in English & American Literature and Latin American Studies from New York University, and earned an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from California State University, Los Angeles, where she wrote a master’s thesis titled “‘I Got You’: The Modern American Family and Latinx Reconfigurations in Netflix’s One Day at a Time.”

Recent Publications/Presentations

Pérez, S.M. (Forthcoming, 2026). Dazzling intimacies and the mirage of inclusion in And Just Like That…. In I. Molina-Guzmán & A.N. Valdivia (Eds.), (Re)booting Inequality: Critical Takes on Film and Television Remakes. New York University Press. ISBN: 9781479821914.
Pérez, S.M. (Forthcoming). Quinceañera ontologies: (Mediated) Latine/x girlhood and other stories. In J.M. Báez & D. León-Boys (Eds.), Quinceañeras: Mediated Approaches to a Cultural Celebration. University of Illinois Press.
Pérez, S.M. & Valdivia, A.N. (2023). Latina Teenhood: Intersectionalizing subjectivities in the post-network era. In B. Calafell & S. Eguchi (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Ethnicity and Race in Communication. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367748586-3.
Valdivia, A.N., Pérez, S.M., & Herrera, Z. (2023). A Dream Quinceañera? Latina Girlhood in Mainstream Media. Smithsonian Voices. National Museum of the American Latino. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-latino-center/2022/03/23/latina-girlhood-in-mainstream-media/.
Valdivia, A.N., Cano, A.A., Pérez, S.M., Valkanova, D. (2022). Quinceañeras: Celebration, Joy, and Ethnic Pride [Exhibit]. Spurlock Museum, Urbana, IL, USA. https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/exhibits/profiles/quince.html.
Pérez, S.M. (2021). Queen of the Neighborhood: Monse Finnie mobilizes and defies the ingenue trope in Netflix’s On My Block. FLOW Journal: OVER*FLOW. 8 October 2021. https://www.flowjournal.org/2021/10/queen-of-the-neighborhood/.

Courses Taught

GWS 100: Introduction to Gender & Women’s Studies, Fall 2025 (TA).
MACS 101: Introduction to the Media, Spring 2025 (TA).
LLS/MACS 250: Latines/xs on the Bronze Screen, Fall 2024 (Instructor of Record).
LAS 399: Leadership & Professional Development, AY 2023-2024 (TA).

Awards and Honors

AY 2023-2025: Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Students
Spring 2024: Legacía Award, La Casa Cultural Latina
Summer 2023: Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies grant, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ($1,000).
Summer 2023: Tinker Foundation Field Research Grant, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ($2,500).
Summer 2023: Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship, Italian Language & Area Studies, US Department of Education / University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ($7,500, with supplementary funding provided by Middlebury College, VT).
AY 2022-2023: Office of Vice Chancellor for Diversity Equity and Inclusion, “Broadening Inclusion Grant”, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ($5,000).
Fall 2022: Lynne Blanton Student Travel Award, College of Media, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ($850).
Spring 2022 Michael Haley Travel Grant, $1,000. International Communications Association, 72nd Annual Conference, Paris, France.
AY 2020-2023: Graduate College Fellowship, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ($75,000/3 years).
Summer 2020: Summer Predoctoral Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ($2500).

What Most People Don’t Know about Me

I was born and raised in Los Angeles and am interested in keeping up with issues and histories of gentrification, restrictive covenants, race, ethnicity, culture, food, public policy, and social justice in my hometown.

Esteemed journalists to discuss media leadership and innovation at virtual kick-off event for Frank Center at College of Media

March 4, 2021

Update April 5, 2021: The recording of this event is now available to watch on YouTube:

The College of Media will celebrate the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media with a virtual kick-off event on Wednesday, March 31, at 7-8 p.m. (CT).

Leslie (Miller) Frank, an Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist, will host a conversation about media leadership and innovation with Peter Alexander, chief White House correspondent for NBC News, and Judy Hsu, ABC 7 Chicago anchor and Media alumna (BS ’93, journalism), with time at the end for an interactive Q/A. The event is free and open to the public; registration is required to receive the Zoom link.

“It’s a fascinating time to be a journalist, and it’s also challenging, but the important thing is to always go back to the fundamentals—what is the story you need to tell the public? Now more than ever there is a critical need for good, solid, objective journalism in this country,” said Rich and Leslie Frank.

Rich Frank, who received his bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Illinois, is former president of Disney Studios and former president of Paramount Television Group, and served three terms as president of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Leslie Frank spent more than 25 years covering major stories including the 9/11 attacks from ground zero in New York City, as well as from the scene of the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and inside the courtroom at the Michael Jackson trial. She spent the last nine years of her TV news career reporting and anchoring at the #1-rated station, KABC in Los Angeles.

The Franks, who are now vintners and hospitality leaders running Frank Family Vineyards in Napa Valley, established the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media in October 2020 by making a historic gift of $7.5M to the College of Media, the largest gift ever made to the college.

“The creation of the Frank Center is an infusion for the College of Media at a time where support for our students and programs is vital in preparing the next generation of media professionals,” said College of Media Dean Tracy Sulkin. “We’re excited to host important conversations about the evolution of media with accomplished and innovative leaders in the field.”

The kick-off conversation is the first of many engaging events to be offered by the Frank Center, which will host a diverse group of media experts and practitioners through a distinguished speaker series, residencies, symposia, professional development support for students, and more. The Franks’ gift will also provide facility upgrades in Gregory Hall classrooms and in Richmond Studio, where journalism students produce broadcasts for UI-7.

“The Department of Journalism is thrilled to work with the Franks to provide students experiential learning opportunities and access to media experts that they can’t get anywhere else,” said Professor Stephanie Craft, head of the Department of Journalism.

Rich and Leslie Frank have frequently shared their expertise with UIUC classes, speaking with students and faculty in both the College of Media and the Gies College of Business, and advising journalism students on their television news broadcasts and resume videos. Their next virtual visit will be in an advanced video storytelling and producing course to discuss a case study on how to be in control of an interview.

“The world is changing and being changed by journalists, and the definition is changing, too,” added Rich Frank. “It’s an exciting time to be launching this.”

For more information, contact Holly Rushakoff, (217) 333-3949, hrush@illinois.edu.

Author: Elizabeth C Shallenberger

Media Technology Center set to launch for 2022-2023 academic year

Balz receives inaugural College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award

Davis receives inaugural College of Media Emerging Leader Award

ICR student accomplishments in 2020-2021

PUBLICATIONS

JOURNAL EDITORSHIP

CONFERENCE PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS

POLICY PAPERS

AWARDS, GRANTS, HONORS

Wilson-Brown adds new dimensions to PR courses in College of Media

ICR welcomes 2021 cohort

Hall wins distinguished Cummings Gold Medal Award from AAF

Ciafone receives Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

Stephanie Pérez

Research Interests

Recent Publications/Presentations

Courses Taught

Awards and Honors

What Most People Don’t Know about Me

Related Links

Esteemed journalists to discuss media leadership and innovation at virtual kick-off event for Frank Center at College of Media