October 28, 2025 Prairie Fire, a magazine program produced by WILL-TV at Illinois Public Media, was awarded five regional Emmys across five categories at the 2025 Mid-America Regional Emmy Awards, including “Best Magazine Program” in the region. “Our win for Magazine Program for the second year in a row is a real thrill for the […]
Email: sjheo2@illinois.edu Research Interests My research focuses on human–AI interaction in advertising and marketing contexts, with particular emphasis on how AI-driven advertising shapes consumer perception, attitude, and underlying psychological mechanisms. Specifically, I examine (1) virtual influencers as persuasive agents, (2) large language model (LLM) interfaces as persuasive environments, and (3) social robots as embodied communicators. […]
September 2, 2025 Recently, there has been heightened media attention around the potential misuse of generative AI tools like ChatGPT—ranging from stories about individuals using it in harmful ways to concerns about people becoming overly dependent on it for companionship or therapy. While these accounts may represent extreme cases, they raise important questions about the […]
Email: azamh2@illinois.edu Research Interests Azam is a multidisciplinary film and theatre artist with an MA in Cinema from the University of Tehran and an MFA in Film and Media Arts from Temple University. With over eight years of focused experience in filmmaking, she brings a rich background in both artistic practice and academic research. Her […]
August 27, 2025 | Holly Rushakoff During the historically destructive wildfires in Los Angeles in January 2025, Sekhar Padmanabhan, a graduate student in the online science and technology journalism specialization program, found himself in need of the real-time alerts issued by Watch Duty, a free app where he works as a senior regional reporting manager […]
Email: luciana8@illinois.edu Research Interests Before joining ICR, I completed my Master’s degree in Media Studies at UFRN (Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte), in Brazil. My dissertation focused in Quality Television and public journalism. My Bachelor’s degree is in Social Communication with emphasis in Journalism and Radio & Television studies. During my undergraduate I […]
August 26, 2025 Congratulations to these College of Media students who received campus and college awards and honors, and scholarships and fellowships that were made possible thanks to our donors. AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, & FELLOWSHIPS Anthony J. Petullo Endowment in Design and Advertising Fund Barton A. Cummings Graduate Assistantship / Richard and Audrey Christian Graduate Assistantship Betty […]
August 26, 2025 The Institute of Communications Research is excited to announce their newest cohort! Please learn more about the students’ research interests below and join us in welcoming them to the University of Illinois College of Media community this fall. For more information, see full student profiles. Thomas Farrenkopf earned his master’s degree in cinema and media […]
Email: sk217@illinois.edu Research Interests Seo-Young (Selene) Kim is a doctoral student at the Institute of Communications Research (ICR). Her research interests lie at the intersection of consumer behavior and human–AI interaction. She examines how people interact with AI and how it shapes their decision-making, particularly in the music entertainment industry. Prior to joining ICR, Selene […]
Email: ketank2@illinois.edu Research Interests I am interested in the tools and techniques that have been used to manipulate images throughout history. My research investigates the technical and discursive formations that constitute film restoration. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how the manipulation of images is framed through the intersecting histories of image generation, […]