newsletter | Department of Communication

News

HCOM program celebrates 15 years

2026-01-05

Professor John Lammers poses with a group of graduates in regalia

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...

Empowering Voices: University of Illinois launches new Speakers Workshop

2025-01-27

By leveraging the Department of Communication’s expertise, the University of Illinois’ new Speakers Workshop is furthering the university’s mission of producing graduates who exemplify professionalism, authenticity, and leadership. The director of the workshop,...

Graduate student research on abortion disclosure earns NCA’s top student paper award

2024-12-20

Emily Mendelson accepting the Donald P. Cushman Award

Doctoral students Emily Mendelson and Megan Jacobs Farnworth were awarded the Donald P. Cushman Memorial Award by the National Communication Association for their essay titled “Disclosure-Related Social Support and Reappraisals as a Result of Sharing Abortion Experiences with Close Others.” The...

Brilliant white male characters more believable, some viewers say in communication professor's study

2024-11-22

Mustafaj sits in front of a screen displaying films used in her study

Brilliant characters often play key roles in movies and TV shows. However, when these characters are played by women and people of color, some audience members dismiss them as unrealistic, even if they portray real people and events, a recent study found.University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign...

Travis Dixon named David L. Swanson Professor of Communication

2024-10-18

Dixon poses with department and university leadership after being honored

In a ceremony hosted by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, communication professor Travis Dixon was honored as the new David L. Swanson Professor of Communication.Dixon, whose research focuses on the prevalence and...

If you build it, they will come

2024-09-26

Throughout their time at Illinois, if Juliette Chavarria and her friends wanted to go to an anime convention, they would have had to travel more than 100 miles. Chavarria, then a senior majoring in communication and Spanish with a minor in leadership...

Leanne Knobloch wins mid-career award for scholarship

2024-09-05

Associate head Leanne Knobloch was awarded the Berscheid-Hatfield Award from the International Association for Relationship Research, an interdisciplinary organization that strives to promote advances in the scientific study of personal and social...

Megan Jacobs Farnworth earns award for gender equity work

2024-09-05

Doctoral student Megan Jacobs Farnworth earned the 2024 Strive Scholar Award from the Women’s Resources Center. The award honors a faculty member, staff member, or student who advocates for and advances gender equity through their...

Marshall Scott Poole elected as fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science

2024-04-18

Marshall Scott Poole, David L. Swanson Professor Emeritus of Communication, has been elected a 2023 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Poole was one of seven University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professors elected. They are among the 502 scientists, engineers, and...

Thompson, Tscholl earn campuswide teaching awards

2024-04-18

Charee Thompson and Gabriela Tscholl have earned Campus Awards for Excellence in Instruction. The awards, presented by the Office of the Provost, are given to faculty members, staff, graduate teaching assistants, and advisors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for excellence in teaching...