Author: hrush@illinois.edu

Grad student Sekhar Padmanabhan champions public service journalism as manager, reporter at life-saving wildfire app Watch Duty

Smoke from the January 2025 wildfires light up the sunrise over downtown Los Angeles, CA.

August 27, 2025 | Holly Rushakoff

Smoke from the January 2025 wildfires light up the sunrise over downtown Los Angeles, CA.
Smoke from the wildfires light up the sunrise over downtown Los Angeles, California, on January 8, 2025. (Photo by GDMatthews, Adobe Stock.)

During the historically destructive wildfires in Los Angeles in January 2025, Sekhar Padmanabhan, a graduate student in the online science and technology journalism specialization program, found himself in need of the real-time alerts issued by Watch Duty, a free app where he works as a senior regional reporting manager and staff reporter.

Sekhar
Sekhar Padmanabhan

Although he was on the edge of the evacuation order zone, he stayed home with his cats while other reporters covered for him.

“I was watching on Watch Duty, just like everybody else,” Padmanabhan said. “I had the scanner and our Slack channels, but still, it was a very surreal experience.”

He was even interviewed by PBS Newshour to share his accounts as a Watch Duty employee who was also witnessing the fire grow.

Living through a wildfire firsthand and relying on Watch Duty to help him make decisions made him value the nonprofit service even more.

“What we want to do is give people enough information that’s correct, that they can do something with when things are happening, because you don’t always think clearly in an emergency,” he said.

While Padmanabhan’s home survived, he said, “everybody I knew, knew somebody who lost something”—his niece’s classmates lost homes in the Palisades, his sister’s friend’s restaurant burned down in Malibu, and his girlfriend’s doctor’s office burned down in Altadena.   

His job carries immense responsibility because not only does Watch Duty serve the general public, it also serves the first responders who use it when risking their lives. In just one night during the January wildfires, 600,000 new users signed up.

It’s been very rewarding to know that we have definitely helped people, given people extra time to get out, grab their pets, grab things they need, and be able to make informed decisions.

Sekhar Padmanabhan

Senior Regional Reporting Manager and Staff Reporter, Watch Duty

Watch Duty, which launched in August 2021, currently provides service to the Western half of the U.S., covering 22 states, and is staffed by 20 full-time employees, including reporters and engineers, and 300 volunteers, including firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders.  

Watch Duty app
The Watch Duty app interface, which alerts users of nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts in real-time.

For its role as a lifesaver, Watch Duty was recently named one of TIME’s Most Influential Companies of 2025 in the Pioneer category and received a 2025 Apple Design Award in the Social Impact category.

Padmanabhan said it’s gratifying to be recognized by these organizations for “doing this kind of, what I call, public service journalism.” More importantly, he’s grateful for the increased awareness and downloads of the app.

“It’s been very rewarding to know that we have definitely helped people, given people extra time to get out, grab their pets, grab things they need, and be able to make informed decisions,” Padmanabhan said.

Padmanabhan, who is nine credits away from graduating and becoming one of the first alumni of the Department of Journalism’s online science and technology journalism program, focused his master’s project on fire science and fire ecology. Specifically, he spoke with scientists who have studied pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which are commonly associated with wildfires.

“Basically, they’re thunderstorms that are generated by the fire,” he explained. “You may have heard something like fires can generate their own weather. Well, that’s what these are, and they can produce their own lightning, and rain, and all sorts of [phenomena].

“They produce these giant columns; some are up to 50,000 feet [and] can be seen from space,” he continued. “Even some of the smaller ones, when they collapse, when they go back down, they can throw a lot of wind out in all directions, which is dangerous for the firefighters on the ground and residents because you can’t predict it.”

Last semester, Padmanabhan wrote a 3,000-word article after interviewing scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and the Bureau of Meteorology in Melbourne, Australia. These scientists are working on predicting and modeling pyrocumulonimbus events so that fire managers will have a better idea of what’s coming.

“It really brought me back to what I love doing, which is getting this information out to the public,” he said.

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Luciana Salviano Marques da Silva

Luciana Salviano Marques da Silva

Email: luciana8@illinois.edu

Research Interests

  • Digital Journalism 
  • Artificial Intelligence 
  • Television Studies 
  • Media Literacy 
  • Quality Television 
  • Public Journalism 

Before joining ICR, I completed my Master’s degree in Media Studies at UFRN (Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte), in Brazil. My dissertation focused in Quality Television and public journalism. My Bachelor’s degree is in Social Communication with emphasis in Journalism and Radio & Television studies. During my undergraduate I spent a year in the UK studying Film and TV production at Anglia Ruskin University, in Cambridge.

Courses Taught

  • MACS 100: Introduction to Popular TV & Movies

Awards and Honors

  • Graduated with summa cum laude 
  • Scholarship for the program Science Without Borders

2025-2026 student award and scholarship recipients

Alma Mater

August 26, 2025

Alma Mater

Updated May 19, 2026

Congratulations to these College of Media students who received campus and college awards and honors, and scholarships and fellowships that were made possible thanks to our donors.

HONORS

Bronze Tablet
Inscription on the Bronze Tablets in the Main Library recognizes students ranking in the top three percent of their graduating class.

  • Amanda Barry
  • Christina Kivarkis
  • Hailey Kotowski
  • Mallory Miller
  • Adelyn Mui
  • Layli Nazarova
  • Sydney Populorum
  • Konrad Przeczek
  • Lauren Redenius
  • Benjamin Shlau
  • Kara Yoo
  • Jiaying Zhou

Highest Honors
Highest Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top five percent of their graduating class.

  • Audrie Ballard
  • Amanda Barry
  • Emily Chen
  • Christina Kivarkis
  • Hailey Kotowski
  • Jenny Lin
  • Mallory Miller
  • Adelyn Mui
  • Layli Nazarova
  • Sydney Populorum
  • Konrad Przeczek
  • Lauren Redenius
  • Yingying Ren
  • Benjamin Shlau
  • Kara Yoo
  • Jiaying Zhou

High Honors
High Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top 10 percent of their graduating class.

  • Nicole Amrhein
  • Samantha Barajas
  • Sam Brody-Goldberg
  • Ruoxuan Chen
  • Reis Glover
  • Lauren Keith
  • Mattie Kennel
  • Ava Kolodziej
  • Caitlyn Land
  • Christopher LaPorte
  • Rory McFadden
  • Justin Meyers
  • Charles Michaels
  • Kendall O’Keefe
  • Caroline Pulford
  • Katherine Ratke
  • Heejae Shin
  • Lillian Paige Walk
  • Zhuoyi Wu

Honors
Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top 20 percent of their graduating class.

  • Thanistha Bisalputra
  • Natalie Circolone
  • Li Deng
  • Elie Dixon
  • Kyle Ehrenhaft
  • Rawan El-Bawab
  • Siyi Gao
  • Lillian Garski
  • Raegan Gooding
  • Jillian Grabowski
  • Megan Harding
  • Macy Hull
  • Eunsung Koh
  • Kate Lamb
  • Shirley Ma
  • Maria Mancero
  • Haley Maser
  • Ryan McGee
  • Connor Micklos
  • Drew Mutchnik
  • Kaitlyn Nichols
  • Kyu Ha Nick Park
  • Piper Pascarella
  • Mary Piacente
  • Humza Qazi
  • Mariana Quezada Marquez
  • Eduardo Quintana
  • Chen Tu
  • Sofia Walters

James Scholars
This university-wide honors program encourages James Scholars to develop skills in leadership and service, research or honors coursework, service learning and global studies, and professional development.

  • Samantha Barajas
  • Amanda Barry
  • Diyosa Funk
  • Reis Glover
  • Raegan Gooding
  • Sofia Kanda
  • Eunsung Koh
  • Hailey Kotowski
  • Megan Krok
  • Christopher LaPorte
  • Peirong Li
  • Jenny Lin
  • Haley Maser
  • Mallory Miller
  • Nathan Murphy
  • Layli Nazarova
  • Kaitlyn Nichols
  • Kendall O’Keefe
  • Humza Qazi
  • Katherine Ratke
  • Madeline Santori
  • Sydney Spotts
  • Megan Ashley Wood

Kappa Tau Alpha
This college honor society recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication.

  • Jenny Lin
  • Mallory Miller
  • Layli Nazarova
  • Lauren Redenius
  • Jiaying Zhou

Senior 100 Honorary
This campus honor recognizes academics, leadership, service, and engagement at the University of Illinois.

  • Emma Biallas
  • Sofia Kanda
  • Shivam Patel
  • Katerina Souleles
  • Sydney Spotts

AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, & FELLOWSHIPS

A-Mark Journalism Master’s Scholarship

  • Kaniz Fatema

American Advertising Federation Most Promising Students

  • Odinakachukwu (Odi) Ogbuefi
  • Claire-Michelle Sweet
  • Kara Yoo

Anthony J. Petullo Endowment in Design and Advertising Fund

  • Alexandra Ehrhart
  • Zixuan (Zia) Lu

Barton A. Cummings Graduate Assistantship / Richard and Audrey Christian Graduate Assistantship

  • Tunga Jois
  • Michelle Martinez

Betty Hinckle Dunn Memorial Fund in Journalism

  • Annisyn Krebs-Carr

Bill Geist Broadcast Journalism Writing Prize

  • Mary Piacente

Brett Lerner Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

  • Sijie (Jenny) Lin

C&U Poster Advertising Company Scholarship

  • Tomi Dugbo

C. Arthur and Eleanor Hemminger Scholarship

  • Karys Boeriu
  • Yueming Gong
  • Yash Jagtap
  • Sofia Kanda
  • Tiffany Liu
  • Rory McFadden
  • Diego Miranda
  • Konrad Przeczek
  • Claire-Michelle Sweet

 C.O. “Doc” Erickson Scholarship in Journalism

  • Eunsung (Anna) Koh

Calvin Hugy Scholarship

  • Gabriella Blangiardo
  • Nevin McVicar
  • Kris Modi

Cardiss Collins Scholarship for Advertising Studies Fund

  • Kayla Robinson

Carl and Ruth S. Stephens Scholarship

  • Brendan Gallian
  • Isabella Lazansky
  • Maraya Petrova
  • Liliana Rodriguez
  • Madison (Maddie) Shaw

Charles G. Sotir Journalism Scholarship

  • Michael Sweeney

Clifford G. Christians Institute of Communications Research Career Advancement Fund

  • Tingyu Chen

College of Media Alumni Scholarship

  • Eduardo Quintana

College of Media Annual Fund Scholarship

  • Brianna Alvarado
  • Eli Kennel
  • Danielle Mitchell
  • Sophia Negrete
  • Livia Nigro
  • Josslyn Ostrom
  • Isabella (Izzy) Phillips
  • Rein Phone
  • Mary (Molly) Sloan
  • Elianna Williams

College of Media Dean’s Honors Scholarship

  • Thea Abang
  • Denise Aguilar
  • Maya Brito
  • Samantha (Sammy) Hernandez
  • Laila Hinton
  • Allison Ibarrientos
  • Jaelynn Isbendy
  • Quinn Isberg
  • Calli Kraft
  • Aria Manfroi
  • Jocelyn Melchor
  • Gabriel Montano
  • Noor Najjar
  • Isaiah Rohn
  • Yoselin Sanchez-Miran
  • Jenna Sissom
  • Joseph Tempel
  • Megan Weiss

College of Media Endowed Scholarship

  • Yufan Du
  • Elena Janeva
  • Ella Yoder

Cynthia Browne Placek Endowed Scholarship

  • Kennedy Caldwell

Daily Illini Journalism Scholarship Fund

  • Sofia Boddy
  • Qyler Bowie
  • Adam Edwards
  • Mariana Quezada Marquez
  • Alexandra Murphy
  • Emily Nnodi
  • Mary Piacente
  • Lillien Salas
  • Zachary Shapero
  • Evelyn (Evy) York

Daniel and Nancy Balz Endowed Fund in Journalism

  • Edgar Nava Garcia
  • Josephine (Richelle) Gunawan
  • Evelyn (Evy) York

David Shaul Endowed Scholarship in Journalism

  • Mariana Quezada Marquez

Dawn M. Turner and Kim D. Turner Endowed Scholarship in Media

  • Taya Brown

Deanna Frautschi and Alan Bedell Scholarship

  • Ben Shlau

Department of Journalism Scholarship

  • Faith Routley

Donald E. Chamberlain Journalism Scholarship

  • Prayse Odomes

Donald P. Mullally Internship at Illinois Public Media

  • Grace Merki

Ed Wilks Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

  • Giuliana Means

Florence Hood Miner Scholarship in Journalism

  • Jahzara Norris

Florence J. Johnson Scholarship

  • Yidan (Lisa) Hu
  • Peirong (Zoe) Li
  • Yuechen (Bonnie) Li
  • Nathaniel Murphy
  • Odi Ogbuefi
  • Atharva Sindwani
  • Zakk Wolovich
  • Megan Wood

Forsyth Family Endowed Scholarship

  • Karys Boeriu

George Will Endowed Scholarship

  • Emily Chen

Gerald P. Johnson Scholarship

  • Gabriel Alpher
  • Andrew Burkey
  • Eli Mitzenmacher

Gerald Robert Bland Scholarship

  • Amelia Benson

Glenn Hanson Scholarship in Visual Communication

  • Knox Mynatt

Glenn Holman Roberts Journalism Scholarship

  • Piotr Fedczuk

Goldie Maxine Cord and Marcus Franklin Cord Scholarship

  • Anthony Geritano

H. Maxine Gladding Greenwood Scholarship

  • Temitola (Temi) Akinyemi

Harold E. and Dorothy Johnson Sortor Journalism Scholarship

  • David Lyle

Harold Gustave Roettger Memorial Award

  • Amanda Barry
  • Mallory Miller
  • Adelyn Mui
  • Layli Nazarova
  • Sydney Populorum
  • Konrad Przeczek
  • Jiaying Zhou

Helen C. and Theodore B. Peterson Scholarship

  • Sarah Slattery

Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Scholars Graduate Fellowship

  • Dwayne Banks
  • Rocio de la Rosa Vasquez
  • Kaniz Fatema
  • Reed Lofstedt

Ian Fleming Foundation Undergraduate Research Scholarship

  • Yufan Du
  • Yidan (Lisa) Hu
  • Yuhan Zhou

Illinois Broadcasters Association Scholarship in Broadcast Journalism

  • Liliana Rodriguez

Iris Chang Journalism Award

  • Katie Dalton

J. Christopher and Robin N. Kaler Scholarship

  • Jonathan Mathew

James Webb Young Travel Fund

  • Jiyeon Chang
  • Kirby Cook
  • Yujin Lee
  • Jiayi (Joy) Wang

Jay Lin Scholarship

  • Valerie Oviedo

Jenny Lenzini Memorial Scholarship

  • Adelyn Mui

Joe Sutton Honorary Scholarship

  • Evelyn (Evy) York

Joel D. and Analee Weisman Scholarship

  • Nathan Gonzalez
  • Megan Krok

John R. Foreman Scholarship

  • Emily Burciaga
  • Ashley Howerter
  • Layli Nazarova
  • Cooper O’Kelly
  • Ella Peterson
  • Fernanda Romero
  • Alyssa Thomas

John H. and Sylvia N. Schacht Memorial Scholarship

  • Paige Walk

John Russell Heitman Fellowship

  • Farah Bassyouni

Jonathan Laxamana Award in Student Filmmaking

  • Aidan Allenfort, molecular and cellular biology major, for his film Health. Hope. Peru.

Jonathan Laxamana Endowment Fund

  • Kris Modi

Judy Blasdell Bligh Journalism Endowed Scholarship

  • Jonathan Mathew

Jules and Jody Anne Becker Scholarship

  • Eunsung (Anna) Koh

Karen Lucas Petitte Endowed Scholarship in Journalism

  • Brendan Gallian
  • Megan Krok
  • Mallory Miller

Klues Scholars

  • Mia Avila
  • Andrea De La Torre
  • Kamron King
  • Larimar Rivera
  • Alanna Ross
  • Evita Zimmerman

Lulu Kelly Nardine Awards

  • Elissa Eaton
  • Mallory Miller
  • Mary Piacente

Lynne Blanton Student Travel Fund

  • Jiyon Chang
  • Jennifer Cintron
  • Haochen Ji
  • Youngin Kang
  • Ji Won Oh
  • Se Il Park
  • Wei Xiao

Marian and Barney Brody Creative Feature Article Writing Awards in Journalism

  • Adelyn Mui – 1st place – “More than a holiday tradition: Reindeer are a way of life at the Hardy Ranch in Rantoul”
  • Mackenzie (Mack) Jones – 2nd place – “Horses Nap on their Farm”
  • Sijie (Jenny) Lin – 3rd place – “Urbana will explore alternatives to mental health crisis intervention without police involvement”

Marilyn Miller Kaytor Fellowship

  • Colae Eason
  • Claire McDaniel

Marilyn Miller Kaytor Scholarships

  • Felicity Abbott
  • Sonja Aghakhan
  • Chloe Barbarise
  • Amelia Benson
  • Taylor Casey
  • Jean-Luc Charles
  • Kathryn Dalton
  • Edgar Nava Garcia
  • Mackenzie Jones
  • Haley Maser
  • Giuliana Means
  • Kyle Murry
  • Amanda Muscia
  • Layli Nazarova
  • Cooper O’Kelly
  • Jude Panlilio
  • Addison Petrinos
  • Humza Qazi
  • Ford Quaintance
  • Samuel Rink
  • Liliana Rodriguez
  • Penelope Roewe
  • Fernanda Romero
  • Riley Shankman
  • Tristan Starzec
  • Cora Steele
  • Alexandria Tatman
  • Paige Whiteside

Mark L. Brandt Public Engagement Fellows Program Fund

  • Andrei Badulescu
  • Mariah Brooks
  • Ruoxuan (Christina) Chen
  • Kaitlyn Devitt
  • Oluwatomi Dugbo
  • Paige Gaines
  • Megan Harding
  • Kris Modi
  • Adelyn Mui
  • Ektarit (Gus) Nophaket
  • Joy Wu

Mary Fulton Rothermel Fellowship

  • Yi (Sarah) Lin

Maureen Moore Memorial Fellowship in Advertising

  • Seo Jeong Heo
  • Tianxuan (Nikki) Wu

Murray Kalis Awards for Creativity in Advertising

  • Paige Walk – Best Single Ad
  • Christina Kivarkis – Best Portfolio
  • Jacklynn Cartwright – Best Campaign

Nancy Ronald and Ronald L. Hartshorn Internship Fund

  • Felicity Abbott
  • Nathan Gonzalez

Neil and Lynn Gissler Experiential Learning Fund

  • Brooke Babbington
  • Vanessa Benavides
  • Taya Brown
  • Ange Chang
  • Madelyn (Maddy) Collier
  • Yosef Fissahye
  • Gracieanna (Gracie) Gordon
  • Cooper Haynes
  • Alayna Irby
  • Eli Kennel
  • Hailey Kotowski
  • Madeline (Maddie) Kraus
  • Sara Kulesza
  • Mora Lozar
  • Alessandra Lugo
  • Valery Mayorga
  • Odinakachukwu (Odi) Ogbuefi
  • Sarah Page
  • Emma Roedder
  • Kathryn San Roman
  • Sydney Spotts
  • Kambyl Stipes
  • Georgia Sussenbach
  • Claire-Michelle Sweet

Nelio A. Florio and Patricia M. Florio Scholarship in Journalism

  • Sarah Slattery

Paul C. Fulton Scholarship

  • Hailey Kotowski
  • Christopher LaPorte

Paul Schrage-McDonald’s Fellowship in Advertising

  • Seo Jeong Heo

Raymond O. Torr Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

  • Cooper O’Kelly

Richard Hildwein Memorial Photojournalism Award

  • Samuel Yohnka

Richard Tuttle and Lois Marie Orr Endowment Scholarship

  • Grace Bernstein
  • Jaedynn Clark
  • Chloe Plyler
  • Katherine Ratke
  • Samuel Rink
  • Abby Timm
  • Samuel Yohnka

Robert N. and Lorraine M. Wilt Scholarship

  • Mariah Brooks

Robert O. Endres Endowed Internship at Illinois Public Media

  • Stephanie Orellana

Roger Ebert Fellows in Media Criticism

  • Paige Gaines
  • Amir Rehab
  • Jin Wang

S. Watson and Elizabeth S. Dunn Fellowship

  • Kirby Cook

Schlueter Family Endowed Fund for Internships in Journalism

  • Mariana Quezada Marquez

Veronica Pontarelli Toussaint and Dr. Paul Toussaint Scholarship

  • Justin Meyers

Wilkey Scholarship for Print Journalism

  • Olivia Dvorak

Institute of Communications Research welcomes 2025 cohort of doctoral students

Illinois banner with flowers

August 26, 2025

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

Thomas Farrenkopf

Thomas Farrenkopf earned his master’s degree in cinema and media studies at the University of Southern California. His research interests include new media and digital generosity; film theory, with a focus on Third and Fourth Cinema; Indigenous representation in film;  media and sociology: representation, exploitation, and labor; intersectional approaches to media studies (race, class, gender, sexuality); and critical theory and media’s impact on empathy and social responsibility.

Azam Hasanpour

Azam Hasanpour is a multidisciplinary film and theatre artist with an MA in cinema from the University of Tehran and an MFA in film and media arts from Temple University. With over eight years of focused experience in filmmaking, she brings a rich background in both artistic practice and academic research. Her research interests include digital humanities, visual arts, mixed media, documentary studies, and critical visual and media studies.

Xiaohua (Anthea) He

Xiaohua (Anthea) He earned her MSc in communication science from the University of Amsterdam, where she focused on persuasive communication. Her research interests include persuasion and information behaviors, with a particular focus on how consumers process and respond to health-related advertising crafted with persuasive strategies. 

Aiman Kazybayev

Aiman Kazybayeva previously served as dean of the School of Management at Almaty Management University (AlmaU). Before that, she was program leader for the marketing educational program and chair of the Department of Management, Marketing, and Logistics. She also founded and continues to head the Neuromarketing Laboratory at AlmaU, combining research and practice in consumer behavior studies. Her research focuses on advertising, consumer behavior, neuromarketing, and biometrics. She applies methods such as eye-tracking, facial recognition, and GSR to study how consumers process advertising messages and make decisions.

Seoyoung (Selene) Kim

Seoyoung (Selene) Kim earned her MA in media and communication from Korea University. Her research interests lie at the intersection of consumer behavior and human–AI interaction. She examines how people interact with AI and how it shapes their decision-making, particularly in the music entertainment industry and other media contexts.

Luciana Salviano Marques da Silva

Luciana Salviano Marques da Silva earned her master’s in media studies at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil. Her research interests include digital journalism, artificial intelligence, television studies, media literacy, quality television, and public journalism.

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Seo-Young (Selene) Kim

Seoyoung (Selene) Kim

Email: sk217@illinois.edu

Research Interests

Seo-Young (Selene) Kim is a doctoral student at the Institute of Communications Research (ICR). Her research examines how technology shapes consumer behavior, with a particular focus on the music industry. She uses biometric methods to investigate how consumers attend to and respond to media experiences.

Prior to joining ICR, Selene worked at CJ ENM as a strategist in Music IP Marketing and Artist Business. She earned an M.A. in Media & Communication from Korea University and dual degrees in International Studies (B.A.) and Business Administration (B.B.A.) from the Catholic University of Korea.

Recent Publications/Presentations

Publications

  • Lee, S. K., Park, H., & Kim, S. Y. (2024). “Gender and Task Effects of Human-Machine Communication on Trusting a Korean Intelligent Virtual Assistant,” Behaviour & Information Technology, 1-20. 
  • Kim, S. Y., & Jung, Y. (2023). “Development of Semantic Differential Scales for Artificial Intelligence Agents,” The International Journal of Social Robotics, 15(7), 1155-1167.

Presentations

  • Kim, S. Y., Choi, J., & Nam, J. (2026). From Fan to Protest: How Lightsticks Enable Consumer Identity to Travel Across Political Contexts. Accepted for poster presentation at the Annual Conference of the Association for Consumer Research (ACR), Chicago, IL. 
  • Kazybayeva, A., Nelson, M., Ji, H., Liu, J., Chen, M., Li, G. S., Kim, S. Y., et al. (2026). Exploring Contemporary Rich Media: Sound Off Viewing as a Double-Sided Coin for Advertising. Accepted for poster presentation at the Annual Conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), New Orleans, LA.

Courses Taught

  • ADV 284: Consumer Insights 
  • ADV 360: Innovations in Advertising

Awards and Honors

  • James Webb Young Travel Fund, University of Illinois, 2026 
  • Bart A. Cummings Advertising Gift Fund, University of Illinois, 2025
  • Excellence Prize, Student-led Creative Research, Smart Media Service Research Center, 2021

Related Links

Ketan Krishna

Ketan Krishna

Email: ketank2@illinois.edu

Research Interests

I am interested in the tools and techniques that have been used to manipulate images throughout history. My research investigates the technical and discursive formations that constitute film restoration. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how the manipulation of images is framed through the intersecting histories of image generation, reception, and filmmaking. 

I hold an M.Phil degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and have previously worked as a documentary filmmaker.

Recent Publications/Presentations

  • “Image Manipulation in Cinema: From Colorization to Restoration.” Presented at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, Chicago, IL. 2025 
  • “Upscaling the Past: The SD-to-HD Transition and Its Impact on Modern Video Processing.” Presented at the ‘Failing Media’ Graduate Student Conference, University of Chicago. 2025

Aiman Kazybayeva

Aiman Kazybayeva

Email: aimank@illinois.edu

Research Interests

Aiman’s research focuses on advertising, consumer behavior, neuromarketing, and biometrics. She applies methods such as eye-tracking, facial recognition, and GSR to study how consumers process advertising messages and make decisions.

Recent Publications and Presentations

  • Paltaratskaya, V., Zhang, J., Gupta, M., Kazybayeva, A., Peterson, M., & Wise, K. (2023– 2024). Visual attention, comprehension, and memory for visual metaphor in advertising. Submitted to the conference: The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). 
  • Kazybayeva, A., Smykova, M., & Dushchanova, M. S. (2023). Investigating consumer behavior and psychotypes in the luxury real estate market. KazUEFIT Bulletin, 2(51) 
  • Kazybayeva, A., Rakhimbekova, A., & Wise, K. (2024). Assessing educational potential of AI-generated content: Eye-tracking approach. Poster presentation at Bolashak 23. 
  • Smykova, M., Orazgalieva, E., Abuzhalitova, A., & Kazybayeva, A. (2021). A study of consumer attitudes toward university advertising: A neuromarketing approach. Bulletin of the Karaganda University, 4(104). [In Russian] 
  • Smykova, M., Kazybayeva, A., & Sokhatskaya, N. (2021). Neuromarketing studies of tourism service providers’ advertisements. Bulletin of Eurasian National University named after Gumilyov, Economics, 4. [In Russian]

Academic Roles

Aiman previously served as Dean of the School of Management at Almaty Management University (AlmaU). Before that, she was Program Leader for the Marketing educational program and Chair of the Department of Management, Marketing, and Logistics. She also founded and continues to head the Neuromarketing Laboratory at AlmaU, combining research and practice in consumer behavior studies. She has taught courses in marketing, marketing research, consumer behavior, and neuromarketing.

Currently, Aiman is a PhD student in Communication and Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, specializing in advertising, where she also serves as a Teaching Assistant.

Awards and Honors

  • Scholar of the “500 Researchers” Bolashaq Program (2023) 
  • The Best Teacher of Higher Education Institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2020) 
  • Member of the Presidential Personnel Reserve of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Xiaohua (Anthea) He

Xiaohua (Anthea) He

Email: xiaohua8@illinois.edu

Research Interests

My primary research interests lie in persuasion and information behaviors, with a particular focus on how consumers process and respond to health-related advertising crafted with persuasive strategies. 

Before joining ICR, I earned my MSc in Communication Science from the University of Amsterdam, where I focused on persuasive communication, and received my Bachelor of Economics from Renmin University of China.

Courses Taught

I am a Teaching Assistant for ADV 284: Consumer Insights and ADV 305: Advertising Technology and the Digital World for the Fall 2025 semester.

What Most People Don’t Know about Me

I am a huge fan of fantasy stories! I have written a total of over 100,000 words of fan fiction, with some stories still in progress.

Thomas Farrenkopf

Thomas Farrenkopf

Email: thomasf9@illinois.edu

Research Interests

  • New Media and Digital Generosity 
  • Film Theory, with a focus on Third and Fourth Cinema 
  • Indigenous Representation in Film 
  • Media and Sociology: Representation, Exploitation, and Labor 
  • Intersectional Approaches to Media Studies (race, class, gender, sexuality) 
  • Critical Theory and Media’s Impact on Empathy and Social Responsibility

Recent Publications/Presentations

“Children of the Corn Sweats” (film in development) 

Recipie for Revenge (2024): Director of Photography 

“Indigenous Voices Reshaping Cinema: Native American Representation in Dances with Wolves (1990) and Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher (2021).” Oregon Undergraduate Research Journal: McNair Special Issue 21, no. 3 (August 2023): 29–45. https://doi.org/10.5399/uo/ourj.

Academic Roles

Thomas is a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Graduate Student Representative for the Society of Cinema and Media Studies. He previously served as a TA for “Billy Wilder’s Hollywood,” and was a Discussion Leader for “Introduction to Cinema” and “Introduction to Television.”

Awards and Honors

  • Shriram Fellow, USC School of Cinematic Arts (2023–2024) 
  • McNair Scholar, University of Oregon (2023) 
  • Cinema Studies Departmental Honors, University of Oregon (2023) 
  • New Century Scholar, All-USA Academic Team (2021) 
  • All-Oregon Academic Team (2021)

What Most People Don’t Know about Me

What most people don’t know about me is that my journey has taken me to some truly unexpected places—both geographically and professionally. During my years in the retail construction industry, I worked across 44 U.S. states and two territories, which gave me a deep appreciation for the sheer variety of American life and landscapes. But one of the most surreal experiences came years later: I stood within a football field’s distance of Reactor #4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant—a place marked by tragedy, history, and myth. Just two days after that, I stood on the Potemkin Stairs in Odesa, the exact location where Sergei Eisenstein shot his iconic montage sequence. That moment was a strange and moving collision of history, media, and memory—one that reminded me why I’m drawn to cinema and its ability to shape how we understand the world.

Related Links

College of Media offers new online degree completion program: BA in Media

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August 20, 2025 | Holly Rushakoff

To expand access to a University of Illinois education, the College of Media now offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Media program for adult learners who have taken some college coursework but have not completed their undergraduate degree.

Person taking notes and using a laptop

Targeting working adults who want to upskill or re-skill their media knowledge and advance in or change their careers, the BA in Media is one of the first online degree completion pathways offered by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, along with a similar program at the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

“This new degree will give learners the advantage of earning their bachelor’s in media at their own pace. It comes at a time when valuable skills from advertising, journalism, and media and cinema studies are in high demand across industries,” said Tracy Sulkin, dean of the College of Media. “As we near 100 years at the College of Media, we’re pleased to offer an innovative, flexible option to access our world-class education, without disrupting learners’ work, family obligations, or other commitments.”

This offering reflects the university’s broader commitment to educational innovation, societal impact, and its land-grant mission to transform lives through education. The College of Media began developing the online BA in Media program in 2023. It’s designed to remove barriers for non-traditional students, across Illinois and beyond, providing an accessible, high-quality education that empowers graduates to contribute meaningfully to their communities and industries.

The interdisciplinary program will provide a broad foundation for understanding the contemporary media landscape, along with applied training in skills necessary for career success in media-related fields. Students will take courses from each of the College of Media’s three departments: the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, the Department of Journalism, and the Department of Media & Cinema Studies.

This new degree will give learners the advantage of earning their bachelor’s in media at their own pace. It comes at a time when valuable skills from advertising, journalism, and media and cinema studies are in high demand across industries.

Tracy Sulkin

Dean of the College of Media

Students will learn media concepts, theories, and methods; use cutting-edge tools and technology to analyze and evaluate the media landscape; and create ethical and culturally relevant media content. Understanding that students will possess a wide range of experiences and coursework, the program culminates in a capstone experience where students will apply their knowledge to a significant project that highlights their skills to future employers.

Graduates of the program will be prepared for successful careers both inside and outside the media industry, including positions in the business, government, education, and nonprofit sectors that require media and communication skills, such as writing, editing, audio production, videography, strategy, and media research and analysis.

Unlike traditional undergraduate degree programs, students in the BA in Media program will not be required to enroll full-time, nor to reside on campus. Students must complete all classes online.

The BA in Media program is open to transfer students and to those applying for re-entry to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It is not available to first-year students or to current students seeking an inter-collegiate transfer.

The bachelor’s in media is the fifth bachelor’s degree offered by the college—which also offers master’s degrees and a doctoral degree—further expanding its academic portfolio to meet the needs of today’s learners. See all academic programs offered by the College of Media.

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College of Media
119 Gregory Hall
810 S. Wright St.
Urbana, IL 61801
217-333-2350