Unit 34 | College of Media

Advertising alum Georgia Schreiner wins Media Planner of the Year award

Georgia Schreiner (BS ’10, advertising) won the Media Planner of the Year at Ad Age’s Small Agency Awards.

Just one person was chosen for the media planner award, which recognizes candidates who have demonstrated a flair for bringing innovation to media planning, leveraged the vast media offerings in unexpected ways to successfully communicate a brand’s message, and delivered an engaging brand experience in new ways. Entrants were required to show how they made a direct impact on a specific campaign, brand, or product launch.

Schreiner also accepted the Gold Media Agency of the Year award on behalf of Exverus Media, the California ad agency where Schreiner works as associate media director.

The Ad Age Small Agency Awards honor small, independent agencies that are performing well in three important areas: creating amazing and effective work for clients, building a financially healthy business, and cultivating a diverse and rewarding environment for employees.

See the Ad Age article here.

Alum Rick Sallinger inducted into National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle

Rick Sallinger (BS ’71, MS ’72, advertising) was inducted into the Heartland Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle.

The Silver Circle honors media professionals who have contributed 25 years or more to the television industry, and who also have made a meaningful and significant contribution to broadcasting and/or new media.

Sallinger, who worked at WPGU from 1967-71 as an announcer, music and program director. He was inducted into the Illini Media Hall of Fame in 2022.

After working as a radio reporter in Cleveland and Chicago, Sallinger moved on to television news working at stations in Indianapolis, Denver, and Chicago.

In 1990, Sallinger became a foreign war correspondent for CNN based in London covering events like the Gulf War, the war in Yugoslavia, and the reunification of Germany.

He settled in Colorado, joining KCNC-TV, a CBS affiliate in Denver, in 1993 where he continues to work today. (Update: He retired in December 2023.)

Sallinger has covered nearly every major Colorado story in recent years including the Columbine High School shootings, the Oklahoma City bombing trials, and the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. In 2005, Sallinger won the George Foster Peabody Award for a series he did on Army recruiting.

This video from CBS Denver highlights Sallinger’s career and recent honor:

Kissel leads global advertising company named Network of the Year at Cannes Lions Festival

Dave Kissel (BS ’85, journalism), global business lead at DDB, announced the worldwide advertising company was recognized as Network of the Year at the 2023 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is held annually in Cannes, France. The global event celebrates creativity, effectiveness, and innovation and is considered the largest gathering of the advertising and creative communications industry.

In addition to the Network of the Year award, DDB Worldwide won one Grand Prix in Film, one titanium, 12 gold, 25 silver, and 50 bronze trophies.

Kissel has been the global business lead for McDonald’s, DDB’s biggest multi-national client, since 2017. Since Kissel began, DDB has won more marketing effectiveness awards for McDonald’s than any other creative agency.

Kissel is a member of DDB Worldwide’s Executive Leadership Team and Omnicom’s Global Client Leaders team. He is also a member of the College of Media Alumni Leadership Council.

Sulkin reappointed as College of Media Dean

July 11, 2023

Tracy Sulkin, who has served as dean of the University of Illinois College of Media since 2018, has been reappointed for a five-year term, pending Board of Trustees approval.

The reappointment follows a review of Sulkin’s first term.

“The Dean’s Evaluation Committee was generous with its praise for her transparent and effective leadership, noting her consultative yet decisive approach to decision-making; her strategic approach to the budget, including the establishment of clear priorities and a commitment to effectively communicating the details of the campus budget model to faculty and staff; and her active promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the college,” said Rosa Milagros Santos, acting executive vice provost for academic affairs at the Urbana campus.

“It is a great privilege to serve the College of Media community for another term as dean,” said Sulkin. “I am eager to work with our talented and dedicated faculty, staff, students, and alumni to build on the exciting momentum we have created together over the past five years. As we begin our planning for our centennial celebration in 2027, it is clear that there is a bright future ahead for the College of Media.”

The evaluation committee highlighted several key accomplishments under Sulkin’s leadership, including the elevation of the College of Media’s profile on campus, success in advancement—notably the biggest gift in College of Media history with the establishment of the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media, plus the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies—and substantial upgrades to technology and infrastructure to support research, teaching, and learning.

“I am confident she will build upon this momentum and continue to advance the College of Media as a strong leader,” Santos added.

Sulkin joined the faculty at the University of Illinois in 2002, after earning her PhD in political science from the University of Washington. She formerly served as the College of Media’s interim executive associate dean and has held administrative positions in the Department of Political Science, including as associate head for undergraduate programs and director of graduate studies. She has been a fellow of the Big 10 Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program and the University of Illinois President’s Executive Leadership Program. She is the recipient of multiple awards for excellence in teaching and is the author or coauthor of numerous articles and three books on legislative behavior, communication, and representation.

Journalism master’s student Herbert DaCosta awarded fellowship to help educate public about climate change

July 10, 2023 | Kelly Youngblood

Herbert DaCosta, a graduate student in the journalism master’s degree program, was awarded the 2023-24 Thornton Tomasetti Foundation Technical Literacy Fellowship for his exceptional submittal to help the wider public understand and connect with climate change. DaCosta is a research development manager at the University of Illinois Office of Proposal Development.

The fellowship offers up to $5,000 in funding for projects that further the public’s technical literacy on environmental issues and other topics. Submittals were reviewed by Jim Glanz, New York Times international investigative reporter; Richard L. Tomasetti, consultant and founding principal; and Elisabeth Malsch, managing principal of Thornton Tomasetti, Inc.

DaCosta said he plans to use the fellowship to carry out the research needed to write about climate change in a way that a broader audience can understand.

“The fact that there is a significant percentage of the population who believes that climate change is a hoax means that we still have a large gap to reach when it comes to the academic community to reach [people’s] minds and hearts,” DaCosta said. “It is possible that although the academic community has sent out the message, it was not in a way in which the public could relate and understand. My goal is to give a small contribution to narrow that gap.”

“We’re extremely proud of Herbert for earning this fellowship where he can make an impact by improving how journalists communicate environmental issues to the public,” said Mira Sotirovic, associate professor and Karin and Folke Dovring Scholar in Propaganda, and head of the Department of Journalism. The Department of Journalism has prioritized the study of science and technology journalism, creating an online curriculum that begins Fall 2023.

In his current job, DaCosta supports the Illinois research community in the development of large and multidisciplinary grant proposals. The position, which he’s held since 2017, has been a great fit for DaCosta, who is a trained scientist with a passion for writing.

After obtaining a PhD in chemistry with minors in physics and computer engineering from the University of Florida and a Doctor of Science in chemistry from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, DaCosta worked as an industrial research engineer. He developed novel catalytic converters to decrease regulated emissions from diesel engines and new technologies to capture carbon dioxide and to convert it into useful products.

Realizing he liked writing more than research and development, DaCosta found a career in research development that allowed him to combine his science skills and his interest in writing.

DaCosta plans to complete his master’s degree in journalism at Illinois next year. He said his goal is to be able to “write about science for the wider community and to become better at assisting the Illinois research community in the development of large grant proposals.”

DaCosta feels it’s important to be able to communicate science and technology concepts clearly to educate others.

“Learning is more effective when the new lessons learned are built on previous knowledge,” he said. “Also, learning is enabling, in many ways. The more one learns, the more one can learn.”

Advertising alum Jackson-Smith speaks at Cannes Lions Festival

Dani Jackson-Smith (BS ’06, advertising), founder of the Cre8tors, a creative management agency rooted in culture and social impact, participated in a panel discussion, “REAL TALK: Pushing Creativity Outside Your Lane,” at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity held on June 23 in Nice, France. The annual festival is home to the world’s most prestigious advertising awards.

Jackson-Smith, a member of the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising’s James Webb Young Advisory Board and a 2021 recipient of ADCOLOR’s “Rockstar” Award, established the Cre8tors in 2019 with a mission to create experiences that unite, transform, and drive change in communities across the globe. The Cannes appearance follows two other Cre8tor launch events in Chicago and New York in June. Learn more.

Media faculty, students present at 2023 International Communication Association conference

June 15, 2023

The College of Media was well represented at the 73^rd annual International Communication Association conference this summer in Toronto, Canada, with many faculty and graduate students presenting on the theme of “Reclaiming Authenticity in Communication.” The ICA aims to advance the scholarly study of human communication by encouraging and facilitating excellence in academic research worldwide.

Media participants are listed below. View the ICA conference program.

Faculty session chairs and presentations

ICA Hackathon 2023
Chairs: Jacob Fisher, Yee Man Margaret Ng

System in the Context of COVID-19 Vaccines
Yee Man Margaret Ng

Using Conversational Agents to Correct Misinformation and Change Behavioral Intentions
Leona Yi-Fan Su

Feminist Media Studies Editorial Board Breakfast
Chair: Isabel Molina

Mediated Quinceañeras: Constructing a Public Facing Exhibit
Angharad Valdivia

Legitimate and Appropriate Science Communication: The Effects of Anthropomorphic and Satirical Humor on Source Likability
Leona Yi-Fan Su

Mobile Devices and Social Media
Ewa Maslowska

Experiencing Climate Change Virtually: A Pre-Registered Experiment on the Effects of Virtual Reality on Climate Change Related Cognitions, Emotions, and Behavior
Ewa Maslowska

Effects of Review Incentive Types on Review Writers, Content, and Readers
Ewa Maslowska

The Impact of Cognitive Load on Recognition for Health Narrative Information
Jacob Fisher

Faculty and student co-presentations

Context Matters: Teachers Talk Media Literacy in the Classroom
Sakshi Bhalla (pictured at top) and Michelle Nelson

Intentions: The Roles of Message Format, Information Source, and Perceived Credibility
Jennifer Shiyue Zhang, Ruochong Ji, Junqi Shao, Leona Yi-Fan Su

Exploring the Boundary Condition of the Proteus Effect: Improving Exercise Efficacy Using Immersive Technology
Chen Chen, Yanyun Wang, Yuki Minamii, Mike Yao

Gender Identity and Influence in Human-Machine Communication: A Mixed-Methods Exploration
Weizi Liu, Nisa Rahman, Mike Yao

An Initial Examination of the Role of Reward Proximity in Driving Attention during Media Processing
Chen Chen, Jacob Fisher

Making Social Cues Invisible: How the Absence of Public Dislike Counts Affects YouTube Users’ Behavior
Maggie Zhang, Yee Man Margaret Ng

What Is “Being There”? An Ontology of the Immersive Experience
Chen Chen, Jacob Fisher

Predicting Streaming Audiences for a Channel’s On-Demand TV Shows: Choice Architecture, Content Attributes, and Consumer Agency
Hritik Raj, Harsh Taneja

Time Perception, Cognitive Load, and Memory for Short Form Video Applications (SVAs)
Veranika Paltaratskaya, Kevin Wise

Student presentations

The Effects of Trump’s Endorsements on Senate Republican Candidates’ Campaign Messaging Strategies in the 2018 US Midterm Elections
JungHwan Yang, Ashank Tomar, Je Hoon Chae, Xiujia Yang

Exploring the Marginal Value of Visual and Textual Information in Online Shopping
Chen Chen

Communication in Interorganizational Collaborations
Organizational Communication
Discussant: William Barley

Multi-Level Resilience Brokering: Refugee Organizations and Interorganizational Networks in the United States and South Korea
Minkyung Kim

How Perceived Knowledge Insufficiency, as a Function of Ease of Retrieval, Affects Health Information Seeking
Elisabeth Bigsby

Parasocial Relations and Embodied Social Presence on the Metaverse: An Exploratory Study of ZEPETO and Influencer-Follower Relations
Jiwon Oh, Ji Yeon Chang

Can We Discern Misleading Messages in the Metaverse? An Effect of Parasocial Interaction and Virtual Presence
Ji Yeon Chang, Jiwon Oh

Problematic Integration and Managing Uncertainty in Abortion Care and Disclosure
Megan Jacobs Farnworth, Shaimaa Khanam, Emily Mendelson

Intuitions in Program Dialogue? A Computer-Assisted Content Analysis
Stewart Coles

Audience Engagement in the US during COVID-19
Jenna Kim, Jana Diesner

When Artificial Intelligence (AI) Crosses Journalistic Boundary: The Audience’s Perceived News Credibility of AI-Written News
Dongchan Lee, WooJin Kim, Jane Yeahin Pyo

Human Communication Research (HCR) Community Meeting
William Barley

Latinas Be Like: A Critical Reflection on Identity and Authenticity of Latina Social Media Influencers
Ariana Cano

Hurt Sentiments or Misogyny? Reading Partisan News Coverage of Agrima Joshua’s “Offensive” Joke
Namita Gupta

Organizational Communication Research Escalator Session
Discussant: William Barley

Authenticity Perceived, Authenticity Performed: How Inconsistency in Self-Presentations Influences User Engagement
Maggie Zhang

Exploring How Personality Trait Affect Implicit Attitude towards COVID-19 Vaccine: An ERP Study
Chen Chen, Yanyun Wang

How Do People’s Media Use Habits Affect Their Emotional Expression? Using EEG to Compare the Effects of Handwriting versus Typing
Yanyun Wang

Sex Talks Between LGBTQ+ Parents and Children
Emily Gerlikovski

Citizen Discourse about Climate Gentrification: The Complementarities of Online and Onsite Communication
Minkyung Kim

Can Happiness and Sadness Overcome Organ Donation Barriers Following Exposure to Radio Ads?
Minhey Chung, Brian Quick

How Organizational Resources Enable Interdisciplinarity: An Ego-Centric Comparative Network Approach
William Barley, Lauren Johnson, Brian Allan

It Matters Where You Are: The Effects of Social Identity Salience on Group Interaction
Maggie Zhang

Hybrid: Influencers, Mass Media, and Conflicts
Popular Media & Culture
Chair: Ariana Cano

Cultivating Copaganda: Black Audiences’ Consumption of Black Law Enforcement TV Characters and Attitudes toward Law Enforcement
Deja Rollins

Right-Wing and Alternative Platforms
Communication and Technology
Political Communication
Chair: Maggie Zhang

Algorithmic Subjectivity: The Care and Control of the Self and Communities through Chinese Algorithmic Platforms
Ran Ju

Students in Media Entrepreneurship course win ‘Graphic Design USA’ magazine’s 2023 American Digital Design Award

June 5, 2023

Update 4/26/2024: Congratulations to the students who created Roomiversity for winning a combined total of $750 in the Cozad New Venture Challenge campuswide competition in Spring 2024!

Four students in the Spring 2023 ADV 409: Media Entrepreneurship course have won 2023 American Digital Design Awards presented by Graphic Design USA magazine. Congratulations to Caroline Azzo, Hope Fowler, and Lillie Ostarello, all juniors in advertising, as well as to Simran Shah, a master’s student in urban planning.

The four students teamed up to create a comprehensive pitch deck for a new mobile app they conceptualized called Roomiversity. Their Tinder-style app (@roomiversity on Instagram) would help college students meet and match with like-minded roommates. Terry Kasdan, adjunct lecturer in advertising who teaches ADV 409, encouraged the team to submit the brand identity they created for their business to Graphic Design USA magazine’s 23rd annual Digital Design Awards competition, and they won in the student work category.

The winners will be published this summer on GDUSA’s website, with select winners featured in their print magazine and annual awards issue in July. More than 2,000 entries were submitted this year, according to Graphic Design USA magazine’s publisher Gordon Kaye. The students’ work will be published alongside entries by Adobe, Molson/Coors, the NBA, Pepsi, and several other student entries from different universities that also won.

Learn more about ADV 409: Media Entrepreneurship.

Journalism student takes on producing role for 217 Today podcast

June 2, 2023

Sydney Wood, a senior in journalism, explains their role as a producer for the 217 Today podcast with Illinois Public Media, and creating audio stories for Illinois Student Newsroom at Illinois Public Media. Through JOUR 400: Newsroom Experience, Wood gained audio journalism skills, got stories aired on IPM, and assisted students in JOUR 280: IPM Radio Practicum.

Hear more from Wood in this College of Media video series where students discuss their roles in campus and community engagement projects.

Learn more about the 217 Today podcast: https://will.illinois.edu/217today/

Learn more about the Illinois Student Newsroom at Illinois Public Media: https://will.illinois.edu/studentnewsroom

CS + Advertising student contributes to research project with MACS professor

June 2, 2023

Jen Li, a senior in computer science + advertising, discussed the work she did as a Mark L. Brandt Public Engagement Fellow for the “Mis/Disinformation in Asian American Communities Research Project” led by Rachel Kuo, assistant professor of media and cinema studies. As part of the project, Li reviewed the process of conducting oral history interviews, working with her peers and family members, and held a Community Conversations workshop.

Hear Li discuss her work in this College of Media video series where students discuss their roles in campus and community engagement projects.