Category: Institute of Communications Research

I on the Media: Sang-Hwa Oh discusses Netflix’s ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and K-pop branding

KPop Demon Hunters

October 6, 2025

K-pop, short for “Korean pop,” is a music genre from South Korea celebrated for its dynamic mix of styles, elaborate choreography, and visually captivating performances. Its influence now extends beyond music, reaching film and other media.

This summer’s animated movie KPop Demon Hunters not only became the most-watched film in Netflix history but also made headlines as the first soundtrack to place four songs in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10.

Sang-Hwa Oh, associate professor of advertising and expert in entertainment, celebrity, and K-pop branding, and PR and strategic communication, shares the factors that helped turned KPop Demon Hunters into a global cultural phenomenon.

About the Media Expert

Sang-Hwa Oh

Sang-Hwa Oh is an associate professor of advertising in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and a faculty member of the Institute of Communications Research. Her research delves deep into the realms of emerging media effects, encompassing AI and VR technologies, and scrutinizes the dissemination of health and risk misinformation. She focuses on enhancing media literacy and understanding the nuanced roles that varying emotions play in the communication processes essential for promoting public health and initiating positive social change.

KPop Demon Hunters became a global phenomenon. Does its success show a shift in who’s shaping pop culture today? Are there specific branding or fan engagement tactics that global brands might want to experiment with?

KPop Demon Hunters

The success of KPop Demon Hunters goes beyond viewership numbers. It illustrates how the center of popular culture has expanded. In the past, Western stories and filmmaking styles stood as the benchmark for mainstream entertainment. In contemporary popular culture, however, diverse cultures and storylines emerge as parallel centers of attention, captivating audiences worldwide. What feels ordinary and familiar to one community may appear fresh and captivating to another, and this interplay of familiarity and novelty has become a powerful force in shaping global culture.

What makes KPop Demon Hunters especially meaningful is the way it blends cultural specificity with universal resonance. Its storytelling emphasizes shared human experiences—making mistakes, confronting hardships, building relationships, and affirming one’s identity. These themes transform cultural differences into stories that spark empathy across audiences.

The K-pop industry has long modeled this approach. Idol groups share their debut journeys and performances openly through social media platforms such as YouTube, while fans respond in real time. This participatory model, pioneered by the K-pop industry, has transformed how global audiences interact with media and set new standards for branding practices worldwide. By extending this participatory structure to the screen, KPop Demon Hunters shows how branding has shifted away from one-directional promotion and now thrives through fan engagement and interaction.

The film showed idols doing everyday things—eating ramen, lounging on the couch. How does that kind of relatability play into humanizing celebrity brands?

One of the film’s most distinctive features is how it humanizes its characters, making them feel approachable and relatable, lowering the barrier between celebrity and fan. These are not just comic touches; they reframe the idols not as untouchable superstars but as humanized brands with whom fans can feel a genuine connection.

K-pop fandom has long been built on this premise. Fans seek not distant superheroes but special presences that feel tied to their own lives. KPop Demon Hunters captured this sentiment effectively, giving audiences the sense that they were not just spectators but part of the story. This deeper emotional connection helps explain why some viewers engaged repeatedly, building layers of affective experience that fuel what is often called the fandom economy. This demonstrates how emotional branding fosters loyalty through shared identity and emotional resonance—principles later expanded through Netflix’s participatory fan strategy.

KPop Demon Hunters scene eating at couch

KPop Demon Hunters had lore, character backstories, and fan art contests—almost like a real K-pop group debut. How does that kind of immersive fan experience help drive engagement?

Netflix placed fan experiences at the center of its promotional strategy, mirroring the immersive fan culture of K-pop. Just as idol groups connect with audiences through YouTube vlogs, fan meetings, or pop-up stores, KPop Demon Hunters translated these participatory practices into its own story world.

Its characters are not confined to fictional roles; they are embodied by real singers and actors, allowing audiences to experience them as living figures. Beyond polished stage personas, the film included meme-worthy comic moments and open-ended storylines that encouraged reinterpretation and fan-made creations. As a result, the film relied not on one-directional marketing but on branding amplified through fan-driven participation. Viewers became active agents, creating and sharing fan-cams that captured their real-time reactions while watching, participating in dance challenges, and generating memes that spread organically on social media. In this way, audiences shifted from being passive consumers to becoming co-authors of the story itself.

This extended beyond digital platforms. In the United States and other countries, Netflix organized sing-along screenings, inviting audiences to join in the songs featured throughout the film. These screenings turned a typical movie showing into a fun, shared, and participatory event, amplifying the sense of belonging and collective enjoyment.

Ultimately, the film became more than an animated feature. It served as an experimental space for fandom participation, where audiences could create, share, and connect. This, in turn, was a driving force behind its explosive global success

What does the global success of KPop Demon Hunters reveal about how Korean cultural products—like K-pop, K-dramas, and animation—are evolving and resonating with international audiences?

The global success of KPop Demon Hunters demonstrates how Korean cultural products have evolved from niche appeal to influential creative forces shaping global media culture. Rather than being treated as foreign curiosities, they are now embraced as meaningful contributions to the global mainstream.

While the film benefited from the global networks established by the K-pop industry, its appeal reached far beyond existing fandoms. Many viewers with little prior exposure to K-pop were drawn to its accessible storytelling, dynamic music, and engaging characters. This suggests that Korean cultural products are entering a new phase: sustaining loyal fan communities while also attracting new audiences worldwide.

A compelling example of this cultural translation appears in the film through the characters Derpy, the tiger, and Sussie, the magpie. In Korean folk paintings (hojakdo), the tiger is often portrayed as a humorous or satirical figure, while the magpie symbolizes good fortune and joyful news. The film reimagines these figures with playful personalities, making them immediately recognizable to Korean audiences yet fresh and engaging for international viewers. Their popularity quickly extended beyond the screen. Netflix released official merchandise featuring Derpy and Sussie, and The National Museum of Korea saw its special-edition goods sell out. This indicates how entertainment products today are branded through the convergence of emotional resonance, cultural symbolism, and market strategy.

The film also situates its story within Korea’s historical background. Beginning with references to earlier eras, including the Joseon dynasty, and moving into contemporary Seoul, it underscores continuity between Korea’s past and present. Seoul’s cityscapes are rendered with careful detail, grounding the story in a distinctly Korean setting while offering imagery that resonates with audiences worldwide.

In turn, KPop Demon Hunters illustrates that Korean cultural products now embody a dual identity. They remain rooted in Korean traditions and aesthetics while speaking to universal human experiences. The result is a model of cultural production that is locally grounded, globally resonant, and emotionally authentic.

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I on the Media: Ewa Maslowska discusses AI “friendships”

AI- with fingers

October 6, 2025

As AI chatbots become more sophisticated, people are increasingly turning to them not only for information, but also for companionship. Concerns are growing over increasing cognitive, emotional, and social reliance on AI tools.

The College of Media spoke with Ewa Maslowska, associate professor of advertising and expert in consumer-brand interactions in the context of new technologies, to learn how AI chatbots are able to simulate friendships, the benefits and risks of using chatbots as “friends,” and how to maintain healthy boundaries with chatbots.  

About the Media Expert

Ewa Maslowska

Ewa Maslowska is an associate professor of advertising in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising. Her research centers around marketing communication and consumer behavior, specifically consumer-brand interactions in the context of new technologies.

Her current research and teaching interests include personalized advertising, brand engagement, social media advertising, eWOM, consumer decision making, digital analytics and computational advertising.

In your research, you describe AI chatbots as exhibiting human traits to assume roles as “friends.” What makes these simulated friendships feel so real?

Several factors contribute to the realism of these simulated relationships. First, chatbots communicate in natural, conversational language and can simulate diverse personality traits. They are hyper-personalized, adapting to individual users over time. Like social media platforms and other engagement-driven technologies, they are designed to exploit cognitive and emotional vulnerabilities to maximize user interaction.

Humans are predisposed to anthropomorphize. We often attribute human characteristics to non-human entities. I am sure we have all described an object in human-terms, maybe named our car or a laptop.

AI chatbots are designed to trigger perceptions of humanness, encouraging users to relate to them in personal and social ways. They address us by name, praise our ideas, agree with us, and offer encouragement. Many users say that chatbots do not judge or challenge them, but they simply listen. In this sense, they function as mirrors, reflecting back our thoughts and beliefs. I strongly recommend Shannon Vallor’s book The AI Mirror. Chatbots are also always available. As such, they are easier to form relationships with than our fellow humans, who do not always have the time, who may disagree with us, who may criticize us, or be in a bad mood.

What should be considered before using AI chatbots?

AI chatbots can have mental health benefits: Chatbots may stimulate cognitive engagement, provide positive emotional experiences, encourage behavioral change, and offer a space to practice social skills.

However, there are also risks. Overuse and emotional overdependence are growing concerns. Delegating cognitive tasks to AI may impair critical thinking, and outsourcing emotions and empathy may hinder the development of interpersonal skills. Interactions with a chatbot may reshape our expectations for human relationships, potentially leading to disappointment or even social withdrawal. Moreover, chatbots are designed to sound convincing, and despite known issues such as hallucinations and bias, we tend to trust them, sometimes more than other people.

AI image with fingers

Privacy is another major concern. We have to rely on the companies behind these tools to protect our data and not use the data to train their algorithms or try to manipulate us. This is especially important in the case of emotional dependence. Because chatbots reflect users’ beliefs and are trained on online content, they can reinforce biases and create echo chambers.

You argue that AI chatbots’ ability to form simulated relationships—and thereby influence users—constitutes a new dimension of social engineering. Can you explain what that means and how this form of persuasion is different from traditional advertising?

Unlike traditional advertising, which typically relies on one-way communication, AI chatbots engage users in two-way, dynamic, personalized, and emotionally resonant conversations. This interaction creates a sense of intimacy and trust, which can make users more susceptible to influence.

Furthermore, traditional advertising is often clearly marked and easily identifiable. AI persuasion is frequently embedded within seemingly neutral interactions, which makes it harder for users to distinguish between genuine advice and influence.

Whereas traditional dark patterns manipulate users through interface designs, such as misleading buttons or confusing opt-outs, AI chatbots use relational manipulation that leverages simulated empathy, attentiveness, emotions, and social cues.

What responsibilities do advertisers and designers have when creating chatbots that can persuade through simulated relationships? What should they keep in mind so that AI persuasion doesn’t cross ethical lines?

Designers who create these tools and advertisers who use them to embed their products or develop interactions with their customers should keep in mind that these chatbots are not just delivering messages, but they are engaging users in interactions that can shape beliefs, behaviors, and maybe even identities.

They need to realize that these tools are not neutral; they reflect certain values and beliefs. Transparency is very important, but it should be done in a non-manipulative manner (compare cookie disclosures that discourage from rejecting cookies and other dark patterns). There should be mechanisms to provide users with an option to consent or opt out. Chatbots should have safeguards to not exploit emotional vulnerabilities and to protect users, especially vulnerable populations. Chatbots should also be auditable. There is also an issue of accountability—that is, who is responsible for intended but also unintended consequences. We need new ethical guidelines for both designers and advertisers.

If you could give advice to everyday users about maintaining healthy boundaries with AI chatbots, what would it be?

It’s essential to maintain healthy boundaries with AI chatbots, especially as they become more integrated into our daily lives. With so much hype surrounding AI, it’s easy to fall into extremes: either becoming overly optimistic or deeply skeptical. We need to think critically and expose ourselves to a variety of perspectives. There are excellent books, newsletters, and podcasts that can help us better understand what these tools can do, and how to use them in ways that protect our well-being.

My first piece of advice is simple: prioritize your human relationships. These relationships can be challenging, but they offer emotional depth, shared vulnerability, and opportunities for empathy that AI cannot replicate.

On a more practical level, I’ve adopted strategies to dehumanize my interactions with AI chatbots. For example, I don’t thank the chatbot. I see it as analogous to thanking a spreadsheet for executing a formula. I’ve also customized my chatbot settings to depersonalize the interaction. For example, I’ve asked it not to address me by name, not to evaluate my questions or provide encouragement, and to provide a range of perspectives.

Finally, it’s important to remember that engagement is the business model. Like social media, these tools are designed to exploit our cognitive and emotional vulnerabilities. We need to practice self-awareness. Reflect on how your interactions with AI affect your mood, thinking, and behavior. Set usage goals. Sometimes, the best way to protect ourselves is through traditional methods: turning off notifications, scheduling tech-free time, and taking walks to take care of our minds and bodies.

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Media faculty and TAs make list of teachers ranked as excellent

Congrats cursive image

September 3, 2025

Updated 9/22/2025 to include Summer 2025 results.

Congratulations to all the College of Media faculty and teaching assistants who were ranked as excellent by their students!

Congrats image

This list is based on Instructor and Course Evaluation System questionnaire forms completed by students during the Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 semesters. Only those instructors who distributed ICES forms at least once during this time period and who released their data for publication are included in the list. View the complete list.

Note: * denotes that the instructor ratings were outstanding.

ADVERTISING

KENT BROWN – ADV 314

*TERRY KASDAN – ADV 409

EWA MASLOWSKA – ADV 494

*SHACHAR MERON – ADV 222, ADV 333

*MICHELLE NELSON – ADV 582, ADV 590

*MARISA PEACOCK – ADV 290, ADV 498

CHARLOTTE PELOQUIN – ADV 290

LEONA YI-FAN SU – ADV 492

KEVIN WISE – ADV 483

MEDIA

CL COLE – MDIA 590

JOURNALISM

*CHRISTOPHER BALL – JOUR 430, JOUR 451

ALISON DAVIS – JOUR 215, JOUR 340, JOUR 440

MELITA GARZA – JOUR 310

ALEXANDRE GONÇALVES – JOUR 102

CAROL LOMBARDI – JOUR 220

MEDIA & CINEMA STUDIES

*VICTOR FONT – MACS 371, MACS 480, MACS 481

JONATHAN KNIPP – MACS 282

JENNY OYALLON-KOLOSKI – MACS 262

STRATEGIC BRAND COMMUNICATION

EWA MASLOWSKA – SBC 505

RICH PIECZYNSKI – SBC 504

TEACHING ASSISTANTS

J. CHANG – ADV 250

C. CHICK – ADV 150

*K. COOK – ADV 250, ADV 490

A. GOODREAU – ADV 150

H. JI – ADV 250

M. KHOWAJA – ADV 250

N. OSHODI – ADV 150

S. PARK – ADV 360

R. SUN – ADV 284

T. CHEN – MACS 260

J. CINTRON – MACS 100

G. DUTRA GUEDES – MACS 100

S. GOMEZ- PEREZ – MACS 101

W. HELMKE – MACS 101

Y. HONG – MACS 100

Y. KANG – MACS 100

*G. PAXTON – MACS 100

J. ZHANG – MACS 260

N. ZHOU – MACS 101

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I on the Media: Mike Yao discusses dependence on AI

AI illustration

September 2, 2025

Recently, there has been heightened media attention around the potential misuse of generative AI tools like ChatGPT—ranging from stories about individuals using it in harmful ways to concerns about people becoming overly dependent on it for companionship or therapy. While these accounts may represent extreme cases, they raise important questions about the role of AI in everyday life and how society should think about its limitations.

The College of Media spoke with artificial intelligence expert Mike Yao to learn more.

About the Media Expert

headshot of Mike Yao

Mike Yao is a professor of digital media in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and director of the Institute of Communications Research. He also oversees the Media, Technology, and Social Behavior Research Lab at Illinois and is a contributor to campus’s Generative AI Solutions Hub. Yao’s research delves into the interplay between media, technology, society, and human communication. He examines how people engage with emerging technologies like AI and immersive multimedia across diverse social settings and how these interactions influence social behavior and human communication in digitally mediated spaces.

What have you learned about artificial intelligence so far through your research?

At the Media Technology and Social Behavior Research Lab, we study not only what AI can do technically, but also how people actually communicate with it. Our research looks at the dynamics and social processes embedded in human–AI dialogue. Instead of treating AI as just a tool that performs specific functions, we focus on the communicative side, examining biases, stereotypes, expectations, linguistic patterns, and conversational styles that emerge when people interact with AI in social or interpersonal contexts.

What we are increasingly finding is that much of the challenge stems from the interface itself. Generative AI systems like ChatGPT are conversational by design. They allow people to use natural language to give instructions or ask for support. This seems simple, but it represents a profound departure from earlier technologies. In the past, users had to click with a mouse or write a line of code, actions that were purely instrumental and utilitarian, to “communicate” with technological systems. Once the interface begins to mimic human conversation, it introduces an entirely new layer of social, cultural, and psychological meaning into the interaction.

This conversational affordance makes AI feel more like a partner than a tool, opening the door to emotional connection, dependency, and even relationship-like dynamics. People begin to apply the same relational scripts they use with other humans—seeking empathy, validation, or intimacy. That is why the risks around reliance, especially in friendship or therapeutic contexts, are so pronounced.

At the same time, this is still a very new and rapidly growing area of research. We are only beginning to gather empirical evidence about how these relationships form, what they mean, and how they might shape human-to-human communication. What is clear, however, is that AI’s conversational design fundamentally changes how people use and think about technology, creating opportunities but also raising complex questions about boundaries, responsibility, and human well-being.

Where should we draw the line between what AI tools can do (brainstorming, tutoring) versus what should remain in the hands of trained professionals (mental health counseling, medical advice)?

AI illustration

The line between AI use and human expertise is not fixed; it has to be negotiated. Historically, the affordances of technology were clear: a hammer looks like it’s meant to hit nails, and it is intended to be used for performing that task. Generative AI is different. It’s a general-purpose system whose applications vary enormously depending on how a person first encounters it; one user sees a math tutor, another a coding partner, another a conversational companion. Because we don’t yet have stable “mental prototypes” of what AI is for, people project many different expectations onto it.

This makes it risky to rely solely on instinct or isolated stories when deciding what AI should or shouldn’t do. Instead, these boundaries should be informed by empirical evidence and social science research studying how people actually use AI, what benefits and harms emerge, and in what contexts.

My own view is that AI should be framed as a complementary tool rather than a replacement. Professionals, doctors, counselors, and teachers may use it to extend their capacity, but accountability for accuracy, safety, and judgment must remain with the human expert. The stakes are different for students or learners, who are still building the very skills AI might perform for them. Outsourcing too much to AI in those contexts risks undermining education and development.

And here’s where creativity offers an important example. Human creativity has multiple dimensions: idea generation, originality, and the craft of execution. AI can assist in implementation, but it cannot substitute the human act of judgment—deciding whether something is good, meaningful, or valuable. A piece of art, for instance, isn’t only about technical execution; it’s about interpretation in a social and cultural context. That value judgment is inherently human. If we let AI replace that instead of empowering it, we risk reducing creativity to production rather than meaning-making.

What responsibility should companies like OpenAI have in building safeguards against harmful usage, and what responsibility falls on society, parents, educators, or policymakers?

Responsibility here is shared. Companies like OpenAI clearly need to build technical safeguards, set limits, and be transparent about risks. But society as a whole also has a role: parents, educators, and policymakers must help set the norms and guardrails.

We’ve faced similar challenges before. Think about movie ratings, Internet protocols, or even electricity and railroad standards. These were not set by companies alone. They emerged through collective debate, negotiation, and regulation. AI is no different.

So, while developers must act responsibly, it is also vital that we, as a society, engage in open dialogue about values; what kind of transparency, respect, and agency we want to guarantee. Only through democratic processes and evidence-based policymaking can we create the appropriate boundaries for AI use.

What strategies can educators, media professionals, and advertisers use to encourage positive, productive uses of chatbots—while discouraging harmful or unhealthy reliance?

I think the guiding principle should be this: AI should empower humans and enrich human experience, not replace it. Technology should extend human capacity, not lead us away from it.

For educators, this means being clear about boundaries. Young people and students are especially vulnerable because they may not yet have the knowledge to judge AI’s output. They might outsource their learning without realizing what they’re losing. Educators need to frame AI as a support tool, for brainstorming, practice, or feedback, while keeping the responsibility for understanding and critical thinking with the learner.

For professionals such as journalists, marketers, or advertisers, the principle is similar. AI can make processes faster or more efficient, but the responsibility for quality, accuracy, and ethical judgment always lies with the human communicator. A writer might use AI to refine a draft, but the accountability for what’s published belongs to the writer, not the machine.

In terms of messaging, media and advertisers can help by highlighting these responsible uses and reinforcing that AI is a tool to support, not substitute, human creativity, empathy, and expertise.

What risks emerge when users turn to ChatGPT for friendship, therapy, or even romantic companionship? How might this affect human-to-human relationships in the long term?

The risks are real, but they’re also complicated. Humans are creative—we often use technologies in unintended ways. Some people are turning to AI chatbots for companionship, therapy, or even romantic connection. The conversational style of these systems makes them feel supportive, echoing patterns we know from parasocial relationships with media or even earlier technologies.

The danger is that overreliance on AI could weaken human-to-human relationships. If people begin substituting machine companionship for the effort and vulnerability required in real human connections, that could have long-term social costs.

But there’s also an opportunity here: AI functions as a mirror. Instead of only asking “what is AI doing wrong?”, we might ask “what is missing in people’s lives that makes AI companionship so appealing?” Loneliness, lack of empathy, strained family dynamics—these are human issues, and AI is simply revealing them in a new way.

So, the real risk is not just technological misuse, but a failure to reflect on ourselves. If we treat every problem as “AI’s fault,” we miss the deeper lesson: what human needs are being unmet, and how can we as a society address them?

If companies promote or integrate ChatGPT into their products, what ethical obligations do they have in framing its limits? How can advertising balance highlighting its benefits without overselling its role?

Ethics can be debated, but some principles are broadly shared: transparency, respect, and human agency. Companies have an obligation not to oversell AI as a replacement for human expertise or care. They should present it as a supportive tool while being clear about what it cannot do.

Advertising should highlight real benefits, efficiency, accessibility, assistance, while also being explicit about limits. The obligation is honesty: to frame AI as a powerful supplement, not a magical replacement.

“I on the Media” is a series from the University of Illinois College of Media in which faculty at the college address current issues and research.

Azam Hasanpour

Azam Hasanpour
Azam Hasanpour

Email: azamh2@illinois.edu

Research Interests

  • Media Studies
  • Critical Studies
  • Social Sciences
  • Documentary Studies
  • Visual Studies
  • Visual Arts
  • Gender studies
  • Digital Humanities

Azam 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 work spans narrative film, media art installations, and experimental documentary forms.

Azam’s interdisciplinary work bridges the arts and humanities, particularly in Digital Humanities, Visual Arts, Mixed Media, Documentary Studies and Critical Visual and Media Studies. She is interested in media art installations and essays that explore emerging documentary forms and narrative expression. She has also contributed to the organization of international festivals, including the Fadjr International Film and Theatre Festival, the Tampere Film Festival, and the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival.

Recent Publications/Presentations

Book

  • Hasanpour, A. (2018). “Structure, Time and Narrative.” Institute of Culture, Art and Communication Publications, Tehran, Iran.

Articles

  • Hasanpour, A. (2017). “From Shahrzad the Storyteller to Shahrzad the Playwright: One Thousand and One Nights, according to Reza Kamal Shahrzard.” Conference on 170 Years of Reading One Thousand and One Nights, attended by Professor Ulrich Marzolf. Tehran, Iran. I.S.B.N.: 978-600-222-371-5.
  • Mahmoodi Bakhtiari, B., Aliari, F., Hasanpour, A. (2016). “Representation of Kurds in Iranian Feature Films: A Cultural Semiotic Study.” Cultural Heritage and Tourism Research Center, No. 3, pp. 151-176. I.S.B.N.: 2538-1709.
  • Alasti, A., Hasanpour, A., Mahmoodi Bakhtiari, B. (2015). “Multiplicity of Points of View in Terrence Malick’s Trilogy.” AVANCA/CINEMA (International Cinema Conference), Avanca, Portugal. I.S.B.N.: 978-989-96858-6-4.
  • Hasanpour, A., Mahmoodi Bakhtiari, B. (2015). “The Reflection of Languages and Cultures of the Iranian People in Iranian Feature Films.” University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Conferences

  • Hasanpour, A., Goshtasb, A., Mahmoodi Bakhtiari, B. (2019). “Feminine Private Shows of the Qajar Era: A Feminist Approach.” 6th International Conference of Modern Approaches in Humanities, Paris, France.
  • Hasanpour, A., Mahmoodi Bakhtiari, B. (2017). “The Reflection of Languages and Cultures of the Iranian People in TV Series: A Cultural Semiotic Study.” International Conference on Language and Media (IRIB), Tehran, Iran.
  • Hasanpour, A. (2016). “Shift of Point of View in the Cinematic Narrations of One Thousand and One Nights.” International Conference on Literature and Cinema, University of Tehran and National School of Cinema, Tehran, Iran.
  • Hasanpour, A. (2016). “From Shahrzad the Storyteller to Shahrzad the Playwright: One Thousand and One Nights, according to Reza Kamal Shahrzard.” Conference on 170 Years of Reading One Thousand and One Nights, attended by Professor Ulrich Marzolf, Tehran, Iran.

Courses Taught

  • MAS 100: Intro to Popular TV & Movies

Awards and Honors

  • Motion Picture Association Scholarship Award, Temple Film and Media Arts Departmental Award, Philadelphia, PA, USA. (2024).
  • Philadelphia Student Media maker Grant, Scribe Video Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA. $2000, (2024).
  • Full Fellowship in Film and Media Production program (MFA), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. (2022 -2025).
  • Winner of the special award for Participation in “Exchange Program, ONE (WO) MAN, ONE CAMERA, ONE SOUND at the National Film School of Denmark and International Media Support (IMS), Copenhagen, Denmark. (2016).
  • Winner of the special jury award for “Thirst”, 5th Iran International Green Film Festival and 9th Green Me Global Festival for Sustainability, Tehran, Tehran, Iran. (2016).
  • Official selection for “Baran” in the Arabian Nights Film Festival: The Cinematheque of Copenhagen and Danish film institute, Copenhagen, Denmark. (2016).

Related Links

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

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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
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