Ph.D. Program: Faculty

Deb Aikat

Dr. Aikat theorizes about the evolving roles of media and journalism in the digital age.

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Lucinda Austin

Dr. Austin’s research focuses on the influence of social media on health and crisis communication and publics’ perspectives in corporate social responsibility and organization-public relationship-building.

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Spencer Barnes

Dr. Barnes' research employs cognitive engineering and quantitative research methodologies to study the design and efficacy of dynamic visual communication products such as visual explanations, motion graphics and data visualizations.

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Lois Boynton

Dr. Boynton’s research focuses on ethical decision-making by public relations and media practitioners, professionalism and agenda building, particularly related to nonprofits.

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Lightning Czabovsky

Dr. Czabovsky's research and creative work focuses on diversifying public relations by better appreciating the differences among publics and how this diversity should lead to better ways to build relationships with publics and stakeholders.

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Francesca Dillman Carpentier

Dr. Dillman Carpentier’s research lies within the broad area of media psychology, focusing on how cues within the media we consume can slip in under our radar and affect our attitudes and judgments without our express awareness.

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Nori Comello

Dr. Comello's research focuses on developing and testing messages to promote health and other prosocial issues, guided by theories relating to identity and self-concept.

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Tori Ekstrand

Dr. Ekstrand uses critical and mixed methods approaches to studying media law and policy – with specific research on conflicts between copyright law and the First Amendment and on web accessibility for people with disabilities.

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Barbara Friedman

Dr. Friedman's research focuses on media representations of sex trafficking and, more broadly, on constructions and contestations of race, gender and class.

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Rhonda Gibson

Dr. Gibson's most recent research focuses on media portrayals of sexual minorities and the influence of these portrayals on both individual perceptions and public conversations.

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Kristen Harrison

Dr. Harrison studies media content, uses and effects on children, adolescents and families, with an emphasis on the consequences of media messages and media use for the bodies of audience members.

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Heidi Hennink-Kaminski

Dr. Hennink-Kaminski’s research uses the social marketing approach to develop interventions and campaigns to drive behavior change in areas such as childhood obesity and clinical trial participation.

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Joe Bob Hester

Dr. Hester's research focuses on methodological issues, particularly the use of computational research methods, in areas such as sampling, agenda setting and social media.

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Daniel Kreiss

Dr. Kreiss’ research analyzes the effects of technologies on electoral politics, political thought and American democracy.

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Allison Lazard

Dr. Lazard's research revolves around a core interest in how visual and interactive design influences perception and impact of strategic health and science messages.

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Suman Lee

Dr. Lee teaches and conducts research on international public relations, public diplomacy, public relations theory and international communication.

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Trevy A. McDonald

Dr. McDonald’s creative work and research uses oral history to produce documentaries and books on the Civil Rights Movement through the lens of Black journalists.

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Shannon McGregor

Dr. McGregor’s research addresses the role of social media and their data in political processes, with a focus on political communication, journalism, public opinion and gender.

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Lee McGuigan

Dr. McGuigan studies the history and political economy of advertising, media and information technology.

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Seth Noar

Dr. Noar's research is focused on the use of communication strategies for health behavior change, especially in a cancer prevention context.

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Amanda Reid

Dr. Reid's scholarly works focus on the intersection of First Amendment and intellectual property topics, including copyright and trademark law.

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Charlie Tuggle

Dr. Tuggle studies media coverage of the Olympics, particularly of female athletes who participate in the Games.

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Xinyan (Eva) Zhao

Dr. Zhao’s research focuses on the roles of social media and social networks in crisis, risk and health communication using computational and quantitative methods.

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