2026-07-28 - The Simpsons has earned a reputation for being prophetic with its uncanny predictions of the future, but when you’ve written enough stories to produce more than 800 episodes over nearly four decades, something is bound to come true — or at least that’s what Emmy-winning comedy writer Bill Odenkirk...
2026-07-28 - Longtime educator and former State of Tennessee legislator Michael McDonald was awarded the department’s first Distinguished Alumni Award. McDonald (MA, ’71; PhD, ’76, speech communication) returned to campus to receive the award in this year’s departmental Illinois Tradition Awards ceremony. ...
2026-06-02 - Nearly 69 million people in the United States speak a language other than English at home, yet weather warnings have long been issued almost exclusively in English. A new study documents how the National Weather Service is using artificial intelligence to change that, developing a...
2026-05-21 - Leanne Knobloch is a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research examines how couples and family members communicate during times of transition, with a special focus on...
2026-04-30 - Nonconsensual condom removal by an intimate partner falls into a gray area of sexual violence, a traumatic experience that exposes survivors to health risks but one they often are expected to manage alone without medical assistance or legal recourse, a new study says. Study author...
2026-04-13 - Master’s student Zoe Caryl earned a 2026 Graduate Research Fellowship in communication from the National Science Foundation. Caryl was the only fellowship recipient in the field of communication.Caryl’s NSF-funded research will explore warning fatigue in recurring flash flood events,...
2026-03-10 - Social media users are more likely to watch TV programs that are endorsed by members of their political party, a recent study suggests. However, individuals’ racial identity and their perceptions of racial and political ingroup norms and the demographics of a program’s intended audience also...
2026-03-04 - From Ghostbusters to Charmed, reboots, remakes, and revivals of TV shows and movies have flooded Hollywood over the last decade. A new collection of essays examines how the contemporary reboot craze perpetuates systemic biases around race, gender, and sexuality. Rebooting...
2026-02-18 - Doctoral student Kirsten Pool has earned a College of LAS teaching award. Pool was one of just six graduate teaching assistants to win an award, and among 19 professors, graduate students, lecturers, and advisors to be...
2026-01-05 - Fifteen years ago, online education was not only uncommon but often lacked credibility. Those looking for leadership roles in the health care industry often pursued master’s degrees in public health or business.But in 2009, then-department head Dale Brashers saw an opportunity to provide those...
2025-11-05 - Many humanitarian organizations in the U.S. experienced multiple digital divides that disrupted routine operations and compromised their services to vulnerable refugee populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges not only elevated refugees’ health risks, they also jeopardized...
2025-10-08 - Political misinformation or disinformation was the key reason for some U.S. couples’ recent divorces or romantic breakups, a new study found.Emily Van Duyn, a professor of ...-
2025-09-17 - Cycles of deployment and reintegration can be stressful, disruptive times for military spouses and their families. Although the Department of Defense and its military communities offer a number of formal resources to help military spouses cope during these challenging periods, very few of those who...
2025-09-04 - Communication professor Charee Thompson was one of five professors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to be named University Scholars in recognition of their achievements in teaching, scholarship, and service.The program honors faculty excellence and provides $15,000 to each scholar for...
2025-06-23 - It’s not always easy to strike up a conversation with strangers, especially after years of remote classes and increasingly digital communication.That’s why communication professor Lisa Guntzviller gives students the chance to practice their conversation skills in a real-world setting in her...