Careers at the Department of Communication

At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — the state’s flagship public university and one of the world’s leading research institutions — every staff member helps shape what’s next

Zoe Caryl wins NSF graduate student fellowship

 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,...

Bill Odenkirk shares the art and science of “lying with a purpose”

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...

Michael McDonald wins inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award

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. ...

Researchers advance first-of-its-kind AI tool for translating life-saving weather warnings across the US

 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...

IHSI affiliate spotlight: Leanne Knobloch

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...

Stealthing survivors grapple with a “gray area” of sexual violation

 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...

Racial, political cues on social media shape TV audiences’ choices

 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...

New book edited by LLS faculty examines how the contemporary reboot craze perpetuates inequality

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...
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