Contact Information
702 South Wright Street
Urbana IL 61801
Research Areas
Biography
Déjà Rollins is a Dallas, Texas native, whose professional experience in radio & TV broadcasting laid the foundation for her doctoral studies in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois. Her research centers on mediated communication and technology with an emphasis on its effect on race, culture, and identity.
In her free time, Déjà enjoys spending time with her kids, hitting the gym, recording & posting her dinner recipes online, and binge-watching new TV series.
Research Interests
Media Effects; Media Psychology; Prosocial media use and effects; Media & Emotion, Traditional & Social Media
Education
2018 – M.A., Emerging Media & Communication, The University of Texas at Dallas
2012 – B.S., Journalism, The University of Texas at Tyler | Minor - Speech Communication
Awards and Honors
List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent – The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023
2022 Ruth Anne Clark Research Award – Department of Communication, UIUC
2022 Henrey L. Mueller Award (Most Outstanding New Teaching Assistant) – Department of Communication, UIUC
2020 Graduate College Fellow – Graduate College, UIUC
2020 Summer Pre-doctoral Institute’s Outstanding Scholar Award – Graduate College, UIUC
2020 Summer Pre-doctoral Institute Fellow – Graduate College, UIUC
National Communication Association Student Caucus Travel Grant, 2021, 2023
UIUC Graduate College Conference Travel Award, 2021, 2023
UIUC Department of Communication Friends Travel Support Award, 2021, 2023
President's Research in Diversity Travel Assistance (Competitive Award) Program, 2023
Courses Taught
CMN 101 – Public Speaking
- Fall 2021
- Spring 2022
CMN 336 - Family Communication
- Summer 2022
- Summer 2023
CMN 277 – Intro to Mediated Communication
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2023
Additional Campus Affiliations
Black Graduate Student Association
- President (2022-2023)
- Treasurer (2021-2022)
External Links
IN THE NEWS:
VIDEO INTERVIEWS:
ABC7 Bay Area Live Interview on Kids & YouTube
Who is the “You” in YouTube? Black culture and representation in kids' videos
PODCAST INTERVIEWS:
The Equity Matters Podcast: "Who You Wit?" featuring Déjà D. Rollins
Highlighted Publications
Stamps, D., Jordan, J., & Rollins, D. (under review). Cultivating Copaganda: Black audiences’ consumption of Black law enforcement TV characters and attitudes toward law enforcement. Media Psychology.
Guntzviller, L. M., Pulido, M. D., Kelpinski, L. F., Makos, S., Rollins, D. D., Zenzola, N. V., & Babu, S. (2023). An extension of advice response theory over time. Human Communication Research, 49, 361–371. https://doi.org/10.1093/hcr/hqad017
Rollins, D., Bridgewater, E., Munzer, T., Robb, M., Weeks, H., Schaller, A., Yancich, M., Gipson, W., Drogos, K., & Radesky, J. (May 2022). Who is the YOU in YouTube? Missed Opportunities in Race and Representation in Children’s YouTube Videos. Common Sense Media Report.
Rollins, D. D. (2021, February 8). A Digital Collective Gaze: How Black Women on Twitter used Hippolyta’s Futuristic Journey to Look Back. Retrieved February 12, 2021, from https://mediacommons.org/imr/content/digital-collective-gaze-how-black-women-twitter-used-hippolytas-futuristic-journey-look-back.