News 7 | DEV College of Media

Grad student Sekhar Padmanabhan champions public service journalism as manager, reporter at life-saving wildfire app Watch Duty

Smoke from the January 2025 wildfires light up the sunrise over downtown Los Angeles, CA.

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 and staff reporter.

Although he was on the edge of the evacuation order zone, he stayed home with his cats while other reporters covered for him.

“I was watching on Watch Duty, just like everybody else,” Padmanabhan said. “I had the scanner and our Slack channels, but still, it was a very surreal experience.”

He was even interviewed by PBS Newshour to share his accounts as a Watch Duty employee who was also witnessing the fire grow.

Living through a wildfire firsthand and relying on Watch Duty to help him make decisions made him value the nonprofit service even more.

“What we want to do is give people enough information that’s correct, that they can do something with when things are happening, because you don’t always think clearly in an emergency,” he said.

While Padmanabhan’s home survived, he said, “everybody I knew, knew somebody who lost something”—his niece’s classmates lost homes in the Palisades, his sister’s friend’s restaurant burned down in Malibu, and his girlfriend’s doctor’s office burned down in Altadena.

His job carries immense responsibility because not only does Watch Duty serve the general public, it also serves the first responders who use it when risking their lives. In just one night during the January wildfires, 600,000 new users signed up.

It’s been very rewarding to know that we have definitely helped people, given people extra time to get out, grab their pets, grab things they need, and be able to make informed decisions.

Sekhar Padmanabhan

Senior Regional Reporting Manager and Staff Reporter, Watch Duty

Watch Duty, which launched in August 2021, currently provides service to the Western half of the U.S., covering 22 states, and is staffed by 20 full-time employees, including reporters and engineers, and 300 volunteers, including firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders.

The Watch Duty app interface, which alerts users of nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts in real-time.

For its role as a lifesaver, Watch Duty was recently named one of TIME’s Most Influential Companies of 2025 in the Pioneer category and received a 2025 Apple Design Award in the Social Impact category.

Padmanabhan said it’s gratifying to be recognized by these organizations for “doing this kind of, what I call, public service journalism.” More importantly, he’s grateful for the increased awareness and downloads of the app.

“It’s been very rewarding to know that we have definitely helped people, given people extra time to get out, grab their pets, grab things they need, and be able to make informed decisions,” Padmanabhan said.

Padmanabhan, who is nine credits away from graduating and becoming one of the first alumni of the Department of Journalism’s online science and technology journalism program, focused his master’s project on fire science and fire ecology. Specifically, he spoke with scientists who have studied pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which are commonly associated with wildfires.

“Basically, they’re thunderstorms that are generated by the fire,” he explained. “You may have heard something like fires can generate their own weather. Well, that’s what these are, and they can produce their own lightning, and rain, and all sorts of [phenomena].

“They produce these giant columns; some are up to 50,000 feet [and] can be seen from space,” he continued. “Even some of the smaller ones, when they collapse, when they go back down, they can throw a lot of wind out in all directions, which is dangerous for the firefighters on the ground and residents because you can’t predict it.”

Last semester, Padmanabhan wrote a 3,000-word article after interviewing scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and the Bureau of Meteorology in Melbourne, Australia. These scientists are working on predicting and modeling pyrocumulonimbus events so that fire managers will have a better idea of what’s coming.

“It really brought me back to what I love doing, which is getting this information out to the public,” he said.

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2025-2026 student award and scholarship recipients

August 26, 2025

Updated May 19, 2026

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.

HONORS

Bronze Tablet
Inscription on the Bronze Tablets in the Main Library recognizes students ranking in the top three percent of their graduating class.

Amanda Barry
Christina Kivarkis
Hailey Kotowski
Mallory Miller
Adelyn Mui
Layli Nazarova
Sydney Populorum
Konrad Przeczek
Lauren Redenius
Benjamin Shlau
Kara Yoo
Jiaying Zhou

Highest Honors
Highest Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top five percent of their graduating class.

Audrie Ballard
Amanda Barry
Emily Chen
Christina Kivarkis
Hailey Kotowski
Jenny Lin
Mallory Miller
Adelyn Mui
Layli Nazarova
Sydney Populorum
Konrad Przeczek
Lauren Redenius
Yingying Ren
Benjamin Shlau
Kara Yoo
Jiaying Zhou

High Honors
High Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top 10 percent of their graduating class.

Nicole Amrhein
Samantha Barajas
Sam Brody-Goldberg
Ruoxuan Chen
Reis Glover
Lauren Keith
Mattie Kennel
Ava Kolodziej
Caitlyn Land
Christopher LaPorte
Rory McFadden
Justin Meyers
Charles Michaels
Kendall O’Keefe
Caroline Pulford
Katherine Ratke
Heejae Shin
Lillian Paige Walk
Zhuoyi Wu

Honors
Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top 20 percent of their graduating class.

Thanistha Bisalputra
Natalie Circolone
Li Deng
Elie Dixon
Kyle Ehrenhaft
Rawan El-Bawab
Siyi Gao
Lillian Garski
Raegan Gooding
Jillian Grabowski
Megan Harding
Macy Hull
Eunsung Koh
Kate Lamb
Shirley Ma
Maria Mancero
Haley Maser
Ryan McGee
Connor Micklos
Drew Mutchnik
Kaitlyn Nichols
Kyu Ha Nick Park
Piper Pascarella
Mary Piacente
Humza Qazi
Mariana Quezada Marquez
Eduardo Quintana
Chen Tu
Sofia Walters

James Scholars
This university-wide honors program encourages James Scholars to develop skills in leadership and service, research or honors coursework, service learning and global studies, and professional development.

Samantha Barajas
Amanda Barry
Diyosa Funk
Reis Glover
Raegan Gooding
Sofia Kanda
Eunsung Koh
Hailey Kotowski
Megan Krok
Christopher LaPorte
Peirong Li
Jenny Lin
Haley Maser
Mallory Miller
Nathan Murphy
Layli Nazarova
Kaitlyn Nichols
Kendall O’Keefe
Humza Qazi
Katherine Ratke
Madeline Santori
Sydney Spotts
Megan Ashley Wood

Kappa Tau Alpha
This college honor society recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication.

Jenny Lin
Mallory Miller
Layli Nazarova
Lauren Redenius
Jiaying Zhou

Senior 100 Honorary
This campus honor recognizes academics, leadership, service, and engagement at the University of Illinois.

Emma Biallas
Sofia Kanda
Shivam Patel
Katerina Souleles
Sydney Spotts

AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, & FELLOWSHIPS

A-Mark Journalism Master’s Scholarship

Kaniz Fatema

American Advertising Federation Most Promising Students

Odinakachukwu (Odi) Ogbuefi
Claire-Michelle Sweet
Kara Yoo

Anthony J. Petullo Endowment in Design and Advertising Fund

Alexandra Ehrhart
Zixuan (Zia) Lu

Barton A. Cummings Graduate Assistantship / Richard and Audrey Christian Graduate Assistantship

Tunga Jois
Michelle Martinez

Betty Hinckle Dunn Memorial Fund in Journalism

Annisyn Krebs-Carr

Bill Geist Broadcast Journalism Writing Prize

Mary Piacente

Brett Lerner Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

Sijie (Jenny) Lin

C&U Poster Advertising Company Scholarship

Tomi Dugbo

C. Arthur and Eleanor Hemminger Scholarship

Karys Boeriu
Yueming Gong
Yash Jagtap
Sofia Kanda
Tiffany Liu
Rory McFadden
Diego Miranda
Konrad Przeczek
Claire-Michelle Sweet

C.O. “Doc” Erickson Scholarship in Journalism

Eunsung (Anna) Koh

Calvin Hugy Scholarship

Gabriella Blangiardo
Nevin McVicar
Kris Modi

Cardiss Collins Scholarship for Advertising Studies Fund

Kayla Robinson

Carl and Ruth S. Stephens Scholarship

Brendan Gallian
Isabella Lazansky
Maraya Petrova
Liliana Rodriguez
Madison (Maddie) Shaw

Charles G. Sotir Journalism Scholarship

Michael Sweeney

Clifford G. Christians Institute of Communications Research Career Advancement Fund

Tingyu Chen

College of Media Alumni Scholarship

Eduardo Quintana

College of Media Annual Fund Scholarship

Brianna Alvarado
Eli Kennel
Danielle Mitchell
Sophia Negrete
Livia Nigro
Josslyn Ostrom
Isabella (Izzy) Phillips
Rein Phone
Mary (Molly) Sloan
Elianna Williams

College of Media Dean’s Honors Scholarship

Thea Abang
Denise Aguilar
Maya Brito
Samantha (Sammy) Hernandez
Laila Hinton
Allison Ibarrientos
Jaelynn Isbendy
Quinn Isberg
Calli Kraft
Aria Manfroi
Jocelyn Melchor
Gabriel Montano
Noor Najjar
Isaiah Rohn
Yoselin Sanchez-Miran
Jenna Sissom
Joseph Tempel
Megan Weiss

College of Media Endowed Scholarship

Yufan Du
Elena Janeva
Ella Yoder

Cynthia Browne Placek Endowed Scholarship

Kennedy Caldwell

Daily Illini Journalism Scholarship Fund

Sofia Boddy
Qyler Bowie
Adam Edwards
Mariana Quezada Marquez
Alexandra Murphy
Emily Nnodi
Mary Piacente
Lillien Salas
Zachary Shapero
Evelyn (Evy) York

Daniel and Nancy Balz Endowed Fund in Journalism

Edgar Nava Garcia
Josephine (Richelle) Gunawan
Evelyn (Evy) York

David Shaul Endowed Scholarship in Journalism

Mariana Quezada Marquez

Dawn M. Turner and Kim D. Turner Endowed Scholarship in Media

Taya Brown

Deanna Frautschi and Alan Bedell Scholarship

Ben Shlau

Department of Journalism Scholarship

Faith Routley

Donald E. Chamberlain Journalism Scholarship

Prayse Odomes

Donald P. Mullally Internship at Illinois Public Media

Grace Merki

Ed Wilks Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

Giuliana Means

Florence Hood Miner Scholarship in Journalism

Jahzara Norris

Florence J. Johnson Scholarship

Yidan (Lisa) Hu
Peirong (Zoe) Li
Yuechen (Bonnie) Li
Nathaniel Murphy
Odi Ogbuefi
Atharva Sindwani
Zakk Wolovich
Megan Wood

Forsyth Family Endowed Scholarship

Karys Boeriu

George Will Endowed Scholarship

Emily Chen

Gerald P. Johnson Scholarship

Gabriel Alpher
Andrew Burkey
Eli Mitzenmacher

Gerald Robert Bland Scholarship

Amelia Benson

Glenn Hanson Scholarship in Visual Communication

Knox Mynatt

Glenn Holman Roberts Journalism Scholarship

Piotr Fedczuk

Goldie Maxine Cord and Marcus Franklin Cord Scholarship

Anthony Geritano

H. Maxine Gladding Greenwood Scholarship

Temitola (Temi) Akinyemi

Harold E. and Dorothy Johnson Sortor Journalism Scholarship

David Lyle

Harold Gustave Roettger Memorial Award

Amanda Barry
Mallory Miller
Adelyn Mui
Layli Nazarova
Sydney Populorum
Konrad Przeczek
Jiaying Zhou

Helen C. and Theodore B. Peterson Scholarship

Sarah Slattery

Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Scholars Graduate Fellowship

Dwayne Banks
Rocio de la Rosa Vasquez
Kaniz Fatema
Reed Lofstedt

Ian Fleming Foundation Undergraduate Research Scholarship

Yufan Du
Yidan (Lisa) Hu
Yuhan Zhou

Illinois Broadcasters Association Scholarship in Broadcast Journalism

Liliana Rodriguez

Iris Chang Journalism Award

Katie Dalton

J. Christopher and Robin N. Kaler Scholarship

Jonathan Mathew

James Webb Young Travel Fund

Jiyeon Chang
Kirby Cook
Yujin Lee
Jiayi (Joy) Wang

Jay Lin Scholarship

Valerie Oviedo

Jenny Lenzini Memorial Scholarship

Adelyn Mui

Joe Sutton Honorary Scholarship

Evelyn (Evy) York

Joel D. and Analee Weisman Scholarship

Nathan Gonzalez
Megan Krok

John R. Foreman Scholarship

Emily Burciaga
Ashley Howerter
Layli Nazarova
Cooper O’Kelly
Ella Peterson
Fernanda Romero
Alyssa Thomas

John H. and Sylvia N. Schacht Memorial Scholarship

Paige Walk

John Russell Heitman Fellowship

Farah Bassyouni

Jonathan Laxamana Award in Student Filmmaking

Jonathan Laxamana Endowment Fund

Kris Modi

Judy Blasdell Bligh Journalism Endowed Scholarship

Jonathan Mathew

Jules and Jody Anne Becker Scholarship

Eunsung (Anna) Koh

Karen Lucas Petitte Endowed Scholarship in Journalism

Brendan Gallian
Megan Krok
Mallory Miller

Klues Scholars

Mia Avila
Andrea De La Torre
Kamron King
Larimar Rivera
Alanna Ross
Evita Zimmerman

Lulu Kelly Nardine Awards

Elissa Eaton
Mallory Miller
Mary Piacente

Lynne Blanton Student Travel Fund

Jiyon Chang
Jennifer Cintron
Haochen Ji
Youngin Kang
Ji Won Oh
Se Il Park
Wei Xiao

Marian and Barney Brody Creative Feature Article Writing Awards in Journalism

Adelyn Mui – 1^st place – “More than a holiday tradition: Reindeer are a way of life at the Hardy Ranch in Rantoul”
Mackenzie (Mack) Jones – 2^nd place – “Horses Nap on their Farm”
Sijie (Jenny) Lin – 3^rd place – “Urbana will explore alternatives to mental health crisis intervention without police involvement”

Marilyn Miller Kaytor Fellowship

Colae Eason
Claire McDaniel

Marilyn Miller Kaytor Scholarships

Felicity Abbott
Sonja Aghakhan
Chloe Barbarise
Amelia Benson
Taylor Casey
Jean-Luc Charles
Kathryn Dalton
Edgar Nava Garcia
Mackenzie Jones
Haley Maser
Giuliana Means
Kyle Murry
Amanda Muscia
Layli Nazarova
Cooper O’Kelly
Jude Panlilio
Addison Petrinos
Humza Qazi
Ford Quaintance
Samuel Rink
Liliana Rodriguez
Penelope Roewe
Fernanda Romero
Riley Shankman
Tristan Starzec
Cora Steele
Alexandria Tatman
Paige Whiteside

Mark L. Brandt Public Engagement Fellows Program Fund

Andrei Badulescu
Mariah Brooks
Ruoxuan (Christina) Chen
Kaitlyn Devitt
Oluwatomi Dugbo
Paige Gaines
Megan Harding
Kris Modi
Adelyn Mui
Ektarit (Gus) Nophaket
Joy Wu

Mary Fulton Rothermel Fellowship

Yi (Sarah) Lin

Maureen Moore Memorial Fellowship in Advertising

Seo Jeong Heo
Tianxuan (Nikki) Wu

Murray Kalis Awards for Creativity in Advertising

Paige Walk – Best Single Ad
Christina Kivarkis – Best Portfolio
Jacklynn Cartwright – Best Campaign

Nancy Ronald and Ronald L. Hartshorn Internship Fund

Felicity Abbott
Nathan Gonzalez

Neil and Lynn Gissler Experiential Learning Fund

Brooke Babbington
Vanessa Benavides
Taya Brown
Ange Chang
Madelyn (Maddy) Collier
Yosef Fissahye
Gracieanna (Gracie) Gordon
Cooper Haynes
Alayna Irby
Eli Kennel
Hailey Kotowski
Madeline (Maddie) Kraus
Sara Kulesza
Mora Lozar
Alessandra Lugo
Valery Mayorga
Odinakachukwu (Odi) Ogbuefi
Sarah Page
Emma Roedder
Kathryn San Roman
Sydney Spotts
Kambyl Stipes
Georgia Sussenbach
Claire-Michelle Sweet

Nelio A. Florio and Patricia M. Florio Scholarship in Journalism

Sarah Slattery

Paul C. Fulton Scholarship

Hailey Kotowski
Christopher LaPorte

Paul Schrage-McDonald’s Fellowship in Advertising

Seo Jeong Heo

Raymond O. Torr Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

Cooper O’Kelly

Richard Hildwein Memorial Photojournalism Award

Samuel Yohnka

Richard Tuttle and Lois Marie Orr Endowment Scholarship

Grace Bernstein
Jaedynn Clark
Chloe Plyler
Katherine Ratke
Samuel Rink
Abby Timm
Samuel Yohnka

Robert N. and Lorraine M. Wilt Scholarship

Mariah Brooks

Robert O. Endres Endowed Internship at Illinois Public Media

Stephanie Orellana

Roger Ebert Fellows in Media Criticism

Paige Gaines
Amir Rehab
Jin Wang

S. Watson and Elizabeth S. Dunn Fellowship

Kirby Cook

Schlueter Family Endowed Fund for Internships in Journalism

Mariana Quezada Marquez

Veronica Pontarelli Toussaint and Dr. Paul Toussaint Scholarship

Justin Meyers

Wilkey Scholarship for Print Journalism

Olivia Dvorak

Institute of Communications Research welcomes 2025 cohort of doctoral students

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 studies at the University of Southern California. His research interests include new media and digital generosity; film theory, with a focus on Third and Fourth Cinema; Indigenous representation in film; media and sociology: representation, exploitation, and labor; intersectional approaches to media studies (race, class, gender, sexuality); and critical theory and media’s impact on empathy and social responsibility.

Azam Hasanpour 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 research interests include digital humanities, visual arts, mixed media, documentary studies, and critical visual and media studies.

Xiaohua (Anthea) He earned her MSc in communication science from the University of Amsterdam, where she focused on persuasive communication. Her research interests include persuasion and information behaviors, with a particular focus on how consumers process and respond to health-related advertising crafted with persuasive strategies.

Aiman Kazybayeva previously served as dean of the School of Management at Almaty Management University (AlmaU). Before that, she was program leader for the marketing educational program and chair of the Department of Management, Marketing, and Logistics. She also founded and continues to head the Neuromarketing Laboratory at AlmaU, combining research and practice in consumer behavior studies. Her research focuses on advertising, consumer behavior, neuromarketing, and biometrics. She applies methods such as eye-tracking, facial recognition, and GSR to study how consumers process advertising messages and make decisions.

Seoyoung (Selene) Kim earned her MA in media and communication from Korea University. 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 and other media contexts.

Luciana Salviano Marques da Silva earned her master’s in media studies at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil. Her research interests include digital journalism, artificial intelligence, television studies, media literacy, quality television, and public journalism.

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College of Media offers new online degree completion program: BA in Media

August 20, 2025 | Holly Rushakoff

To expand access to a University of Illinois education, the College of Media now offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Media program for adult learners who have taken some college coursework but have not completed their undergraduate degree.

Targeting working adults who want to upskill or re-skill their media knowledge and advance in or change their careers, the BA in Media is one of the first online degree completion pathways offered by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, along with a similar program at the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

“This new degree will give learners the advantage of earning their bachelor’s in media at their own pace. It comes at a time when valuable skills from advertising, journalism, and media and cinema studies are in high demand across industries,” said Tracy Sulkin, dean of the College of Media. “As we near 100 years at the College of Media, we’re pleased to offer an innovative, flexible option to access our world-class education, without disrupting learners’ work, family obligations, or other commitments.”

This offering reflects the university’s broader commitment to educational innovation, societal impact, and its land-grant mission to transform lives through education. The College of Media began developing the online BA in Media program in 2023. It’s designed to remove barriers for non-traditional students, across Illinois and beyond, providing an accessible, high-quality education that empowers graduates to contribute meaningfully to their communities and industries.

The interdisciplinary program will provide a broad foundation for understanding the contemporary media landscape, along with applied training in skills necessary for career success in media-related fields. Students will take courses from each of the College of Media’s three departments: the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, the Department of Journalism, and the Department of Media & Cinema Studies.

This new degree will give learners the advantage of earning their bachelor’s in media at their own pace. It comes at a time when valuable skills from advertising, journalism, and media and cinema studies are in high demand across industries.

Tracy Sulkin

Dean of the College of Media

Students will learn media concepts, theories, and methods; use cutting-edge tools and technology to analyze and evaluate the media landscape; and create ethical and culturally relevant media content. Understanding that students will possess a wide range of experiences and coursework, the program culminates in a capstone experience where students will apply their knowledge to a significant project that highlights their skills to future employers.

Graduates of the program will be prepared for successful careers both inside and outside the media industry, including positions in the business, government, education, and nonprofit sectors that require media and communication skills, such as writing, editing, audio production, videography, strategy, and media research and analysis.

Unlike traditional undergraduate degree programs, students in the BA in Media program will not be required to enroll full-time, nor to reside on campus. Students must complete all classes online.

The BA in Media program is open to transfer students and to those applying for re-entry to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It is not available to first-year students or to current students seeking an inter-collegiate transfer.

The bachelor’s in media is the fifth bachelor’s degree offered by the college—which also offers master’s degrees and a doctoral degree—further expanding its academic portfolio to meet the needs of today’s learners. See all academic programs offered by the College of Media.

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Mandatory media literacy education in Illinois schools impaired by digital divides

August 20, 2025 | Sharita Forrest, University of Illinois News Bureau

Teachers and high school students live in vastly different media worlds, and that’s one of several digital divides that undermine the efficacy of state-mandated media literacy instruction in Illinois high schools, a recent study suggests.

The researchers—Institute of Communications Research doctoral student Sakshi Bhalla and Michelle Nelson, professor and head of advertising, both of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and Michael A. Spikes, director of the Teach for Chicago Journalism Program at Northwestern University—interviewed 20 educators from across the state of Illinois about the nature and challenges of media literacy education in their schools. The findings, published in the Journal of Media Literacy Education, indicate that these efforts are undermined by differing media choices, skills, and perceptions of media literacy, as well as socioeconomic and political disparities.

Under a recent Illinois law, Public Act 102-0055, public high schools are required to provide at least one unit of media literacy instruction. However, a significant hurdle to effective instruction is the digital divide between the media experiences of teachers—whose media experiences are based on legacy media such as television and social media platforms with less relevance to youths, such as Facebook—and those of their students, whose worlds revolve around digital and social platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat, the researchers said.

“We discovered that there are a lot of differences in how teachers and students access the media, whether it is in terms of the platforms or more structural determinants such as teachers getting news from mainstream news media, for example, and students getting news from TikTok or partisan commentators on YouTube,” said Bhalla, the first author of the paper. “To foster meaningful media literacy, we must consider the role of students’ lived experiences, while extending lessons on media access, evaluation, and creation across a stratified population.”

Recruited from different regions of Illinois, the educators in the study represented a diverse group in terms of school size, socioeconomic profiles, and participants’ disciplines, which included art, English, and library sciences. Participants were interviewed about their awareness of the Illinois law, their understanding of the aptitudes that constitute media literacy, the challenges of teaching the subject in their schools’ settings, and the resources they need to support instruction, Nelson said.

Because the state mandate was passed without providing resources or much training, some teachers felt constrained because they did not want to navigate into political waters, and they were left wondering what to do.

Michelle Nelson

Professor and Head of the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising

The Illinois law, which took effect at the beginning of 2022-23 school year, defines media literacy as “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and communicate using a variety of objective forms, including print, visual, audio, interactive, and digital texts.”

However, the researchers said that this definition of media literacy presumes a single, shared media experience that is no longer accurate, and “the idiosyncrasies of unique media use—particularly in social and digital media—mean there may be no ‘common ground’ upon which to analyze, evaluate, or create.”

Accordingly, some teachers said they were unfamiliar with the platforms used by their students and relied on their pupils to teach them how to use these technologies, while others struggled to respond when students mentioned media or commentators they used for news and information.

Nearly half of those in the study worked in schools where at least 40% of the students were low income, and the researchers said that students’ socioeconomic profiles determine whether students are taught basic functional skills or higher-level analytical skills. In low-income schools, instruction focused on building functional skills such as keyboarding and other technical proficiencies associated with jobs, whereas teachers in more affluent school districts said that their curricula focused on higher-level skills such as critical analysis of the media landscape and assessing media’s credibility and accuracy.

With few resources for planning course content, some teachers based instruction on current events, with students discussing controversial issues such as gun violence and the war in Ukraine.

“Because the state mandate was passed without providing resources or much training, some teachers felt constrained because they did not want to navigate into political waters, and they were left wondering what to do,” Nelson said. Teachers grappled with maintaining neutrality during class discussions, which they said were often “hijacked” by students’ emotional responses to particular issues based on the types and political leanings of the media they consumed, along with those of the students’ parents and the broader community.

“Students are discovering themselves through different political ideologies. And teachers found students to be a lot more political following the 2016 presidential election, issues surrounding COVID-19, and movements such as Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter, and how all of these things were entering the world of emerging adults,” Bhalla said.

But when teachers pointed out fallacious information in the media or pointed out credible sources to correct misinformation, they said their pupils perceived them as biased or responded in ways that indicated they were unconvinced by facts.

“Those in the study also struggled with the complexities of defining right-leaning or left-leaning media and evaluating media bias, because it’s multidimensional and changes with every article, news story, and political event,” Bhalla said.

Despite these many challenges, most of the teachers in the study believed that teaching media literacy and discussing controversial topics in today’s polarized climate are important. However, to be effective, media literacy education in Illinois schools must understand the media world that young people inhabit; provide better resources for them, their teachers, and schools; and provide learning for all students, honing functional skills as well as higher level proficiencies, the researchers said.

The team used their findings to develop media literacy workshops for Illinois teachers during the summers of 2022 and 2023 through the Initiative for Media Education Inquiry and Action. An initiative of faculty and students in the College of Media and College of Education, IMEDIA supports teachers in integrating media education into their classrooms. “We had participants work in groups to create lesson plans and then share those with other people, so when everybody left, we hoped that they would have at least one lesson that they could implement the following school year,” Nelson said.

Editor’s note:

To reach Michelle Nelson, email nelsonmr@illinois.edu.
To reach Sakshi Bhalla, email sakshib3@illinois.edu.

The paper “Classroom contexts: Teachers talk teaching media literacy” is available online or from the News Bureau.
DOI: 10.23860/JMLE-2025-17-2-3

See original press release.

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College of Media welcomes Fall 2025 with faculty promotions and leadership appointments

University of Illinois campus with fall leaves and Block I banner

August 19, 2025

This fall, the College of Media announces two new department heads, seven faculty promotions, and one new faculty member.

In the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, Sang-Hwa Oh has been promoted to associate professor with indefinite tenure. Carrie Wilson-Brown has been promoted to senior lecturer. Penne Heede joins the department as a new lecturer.

In the Department of Journalism, Professor Jeffrey Magee has been named interim head. He previously served in the College of Media as associate dean for academic affairs from 2019 to 2022. Alison Davis and Josh Heuman have both been promoted to senior lecturer.

In the Department of Media & Cinema Studies, Professor James Hay has been named interim head. Anita Say Chan has been promoted to full professor. Jenny Oyallon-Koloski has been promoted to associate professor with indefinite tenure. Josh Heuman, Jonathan Knipp, and Carrie Wilson-Brown have each been promoted to senior lecturer.

In the Institute of Communications Research, Amanda Ciafone, associate professor of media and cinema studies, will serve as interim director of graduate studies for Fall 2025. Derek Long, associate professor of media and cinema studies, will return as director of graduate studies in Spring 2026.

Continuing for a second term within the college administration, Jason P. Chambers, professor of advertising, will serve as associate dean for access and engagement, and Stephanie Craft, professor of journalism, will serve as associate dean for academic and faculty affairs.

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Media faculty, students present research at 2025 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication annual conference

August 19, 2025

Faculty and graduate students from the College of Media co-presented various topics of research at the 108th annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication on August 7-10, 2025, in San Francisco, California.

This year’s conference theme was “Leading in Times of Momentous Change: Individual and Collective Opportunities.” Presenters included faculty in the Institute of Communications Research, the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, and the Department of Journalism; and graduate students in ICR’s PhD program and the MS advertising program.

The AEJMC aims to promote the highest possible standards for journalism and mass communication education, to cultivate the widest possible range of communication research, to encourage the implementation of a multi-cultural society in the classroom and curriculum, and to defend and maintain freedom of communication to achieve better professional practice and a better-informed public.

College of Media research presenters and presentations are listed below. (Please see the AEJMC conference program for complete listings and participants.)

2024-25 AEJMC Elected Standing Committee Members

Research

Melita Garza

Publications

Stephanie Craft

Scholar-to-Scholar (Poster) Refereed Research Paper Sessions

Navigating Trust and Authenticity in AI-Generated Advertising Content

“Evaluating Consumer Perceptions of AI-Suggested Brands: Insights from the FCB Grid Framework”

Guolan Yang

Discussant

Jacqueline Hitchon

AI in Advertising: Emotional Appeals, Trust, and the New Creative Frontier

“The Influence of ‘Artificial Intelligence’ as a Persuasive Hook and Persuasion Knowledge on Consumer Evaluations”

Louvins Pierre
Jiayi Wang, MS Advertising student

Perceptions, Persuasion, and Authenticity in AI-Driven Advertising

Louvins Pierre poster presentation at AETMC

“Branding with AI: Investigating How General AI Attitudes Shape Consumer Perceptions and Intentions”

Louvins Pierre

Algorithmic Experiences

“Ephemeral Visibility and Real-Time Monitoring: How Algorithmic Rankings Amplify Fans’ Data Labor for Idols’ Publicity”

Anna Yan Liu, ICR doctoral student

Current News Strategies

“Targeting Against Disinformation: An Experimental Test of Generic and Microtargeted Corrections in Social Media”

Ewa Maslowska

Emerging Technology Diffusion

“Using the Technology Acceptance Model to Understand College Students’ Intentions to Use Mobile Applications to Change Their Behaviors”

Leona Yi-Fan Su

Environmental Communication

“Perceptions of Climate and Diversity Advocacy in Politically Trying Times: Examining Responses to Companies That Abandon, Maintain, or Expand Csa”

Cassandra L.C. Troy

Media Literacy and Information Consumption

“From Knowledge to Intentions: Testing a Model of News Literacy Behaviors”

Stephanie Craft

Refereed Research Paper Sessions

Histories from Inter and Intra-National Perspectives

“From Piñata Factories to the Pandemic: Latino Media Survived with Community Focus”

Melita Garza

Advancement in Crisis Communication and CSR research

“Tell Me More: Curiosity and Engagement with CSR Messaging”

Cassandra L.C. Troy

“AI in Advertising: Collaboration, Creativity, and Consumer Perception”

Moderating/Presiding

Chang-Dae Ham

PFR Panel Sessions

“Unlocking Opportunities: Networking and Mentorship for Graduate Students and EarlyCareer Scholars for your Academic Journey”

Moderating/Presiding

Chang-Dae Ham

Panelists

“The Privacy-Personalization Dilemma: Crafting Ethical Data Strategies in Advertising”

Panelist

Harsh Taneja

Research Panel Sessions

“Developing Research Agendas for Advertising and Visual Communication: Insights from Professionals in an Ever-Changing Media Landscape”

Panelist

Harsh Taneja

“How to Arm Your Students with Just Enough Business Skills to Cover Anything”

Panelist

Melita Garza

Teaching Panel Session

“Ethical Leadership and Journalism Education Amid, Well, Everything”

Panelist

Stephanie Craft

Commission on the Status of Women, AEJMC Council of Affiliates, and Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for the Advancement of Women in Communication, Florida International University

Workshop Session: Women Faculty Moving Forward: Pathways to Success

Panelist

Melita Garza

AEJMC Elected Standing Committee on Research

Research Award Panel Session: James A. Tankard/AEJMC-Knudson Latin-America Prize Book Awards

Discussant

Melita Garza

Award Panel Session: Nafziger-White-Salwen Dissertation Award

Panelist

Cassandra L.C. Troy, runner-up

Washington Media Scholars Foundation Graduate Research Scholarship Winners

“Invisible Persuasion in LLM-Based Recommendation: How Flattery Style and Product Involvement Shape Intention to follow Recommendation and Click-to-Action via Consumer Judgment Confidence”

Seo-Jeong Heo, ICR doctoral student

“What makes generative AI ads persuasive? Regulatory Fit Theory Application”

Boram Cho, MS Advertising student

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Associate professor of advertising Leona Yi-Fan Su selected for 2025-26 Emerging Research Leaders Academy

August 18, 2025

Leona Yi-Fan Su, associate professor of advertising and a faculty affiliate at the Institute of Communications Research, was selected by the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute for the 2025-2026 Emerging Research Leaders Academy.

The ERLA allows mid-career researchers to refine their goals, make connections, and develop skills to strategically lead collaborative, multi-investigator research teams, and pursue center-level or large-scale, collaborative research funding.

Su, who was one of 15 Illinois researchers chosen for this year’s cohort, engages in a range of interdisciplinary and collaborative research projects on science and health issues.

Her key research areas include studies on social norms, humor, incivility, social media, engagement metrics, virtual assistants, big data, machine learning, brand communication, science communication, health communication, and environmental communication.

ERLA candidates are nominated by a dean, department head, or director, and evaluated by a campuswide selection committee. Factors such as their commitment to the program, future leadership potential, and how their participation will benefit their career as well as that of the Illinois research enterprise, are all considered before the final selection is made.

Throughout the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters, ERLA members will engage in reflection and personal assessment, clarify their vision and goals, and develop five-year action plans that they will present at the ERLA graduation in April 2026.

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Journalism alum, ocean expert Annie Crawley wins 2025 Illini Comeback Award

August 14, 2025

Annie Crawley (BS ’90, journalism) was one of two recipients to win the University of Illinois Alumni Association’s 2025 Illini Comeback Award.

Crawley, a.k.a. “Ocean Annie,” is a pioneering underwater filmmaker, environmental photojournalist, author, and ocean advocate whose career spans more than three decades.

She has become a driving force for ocean literacy, exploration and conservation through immersive storytelling and education. She founded “Dive Into Your Imagination”—a series of award-winning illustrated books and award-winning DVDs that have reached global audiences, inspiring millions to care for and become a voice for oceans.

The College of Media is hosting a special screening of Crawley’s film The Island of the Shark, Guardians of Malpelo, followed by a Q&A with Crawley on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 4:30 p.m. at Spurlock Musem. The event is free and open to the public. Participants may also join by registering for the Zoom link.

Crawley’s recent work includes ocean-themed visual compositions for symphonies with renowned composer Stella Sung—merging science, music, and art to spotlight noise, chemical, and sound pollution. Her latest documentary, The Island of the Shark: Guardians of Malpelo, highlights shark conservation and the fight against illegal fishing in Colombia.

As a columnist for Scuba Diving Magazine and an in-demand speaker, Crawley challenges us to dive deeper—to hear the ocean’s story and recognize the role we all play in the ocean’s future.

Since 1980, when the Illini Comeback Award was established, the UIAA has invited prominent and accomplished alumni back to the campus to participate in various activities during Homecoming Weekend.

Honorees are provided opportunities to interact with current students and share information about their professional experiences and the value of their University of Illinois education.

UIAA Alumni Awards will be presented in conjunction with Homecoming Week, September 21-27.

A delicious irony: Why Trump prefers Mexican Coca-Cola

July 31, 2025 | Boston Globe

Border walls and tariffs must be high against Mexico, but the Cokes it exports to the United States get a pass. A product beloved by immigrants and cool kids alike, it is known for its real cane sugar and retro glass bottle. And it’s a product that, in its very sweetness, shows that taste is political—that what we consume is shaped by trade policies, subsidies, and the strength of our regulatory institutions.

Amanda Ciafone, Associate Professor of Media and Cinema Studies

Amanda Ciafone, associate professor of media and cinema studies, discusses the strange contradictions in American health policy in a Boston Globe op-ed piece titled “A delicious irony: Why Trump prefers Mexican Coca-Cola.”

“When President Trump recently professed his preference for ‘REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States,’ he may have been remembering the Cokes of his youth. More likely he was thinking of the taste of a ‘Mexican Coke,’ the only version of Coca-Cola sweetened with real sugar, rather than high-fructose corn syrup, that is commercially available in the United States—and it’s imported from Mexico,” Ciafone writes. “It was hard not to marvel at the irony.”

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