The event, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., will include professional panels, a creative hackathon, networking, food, and more. For more information, please visit sandagesymposium.com. RSVP information will be available in early August.
9:30-10 a.m.—Registration
10-10:45 a.m.
Welcome and Keynote
“Advertising as the Invited Guest Who Took Over the Party”
Keynote Speaker: Judy Ungar Franks, Former Agency Executive, Professor at Northwestern University, and Author of Media from Chaos to Clarity and Back Again
10:45 a.m.-12 p.m.
“Where Advertising Goes Next”
Panelists from left to right: Jessica Jorsch (BS ’07, ADV), Global Digital Performance Media Lead, Mars; Helen Katz (MS ’86, ADV; PhD ’88, ICR), Executive Vice President, Research, Publicis Media; Mike Kelly (BA ’79, LAS), CEO and Co-founder of Kelly Newman Advisor; Ashley McGowan (BS ’07, ADV), Head of Marketing, Audience & Growth, Meta; Greg Morrison (BS ’07, ADV), Co-founder, MXML Creative
“From Classroom to Industry: Exploring the Possibilities of Advertising”
Panelists from left to right: Lacey Gilbert (MS ’11, ADV), Senior Vice President, Strategy Director, Leo Burnett; Adam Hamilton (BS ’11, ADV; MBA ’19) Director, Brand Communications, McDonald’s; Amy Restko (BA ’13, LAS; MS ’14, ADV), Vice President, Engagement Strategy, AbelsonTaylor Group; Bill Rouse (BA ’96, LAS), Senior Vice President, Advertising Sales, Sony Pictures Entertainment; Rachelle Pierre-Lott (BA ’03, LAS), Director II, Enterprise Digital
Several faculty and staff members from the College of Media led workshops for high-school-aged youth in Illinois during Illini Summer Academies, held June 21-25, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
(Photo of Media attendees by Lark Runkle, youth photographer)
Illini Summer Academies, which is presented by Illinois 4-H, the youth development program of University of Illinois Extension, partners with various departments and colleges across campus every summer to give high school students an opportunity to experience college life and explore a career of their choice.
Twelve students from across Illinois registered for the College of Media program, which marked the college’s first year of participation in the 4-H Summer Academies.
“As the coordinator for the program as well as one of its instructors, I think it went great,” said Jason P. Chambers, professor in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and associate dean for access and engagement.
“I think that the program helped build student awareness about the majors available in the college and the types of jobs they can get with an education in the College of Media.”
Chambers led the workshop “Exploring Public Service Advertising,” which gave students an overview of the ad industry, including discussions about the different types of advertising, tools, and approaches used to attract an audience.
(Photo of broadcast workshop by Disha Rai, youth photographer)
Students developed a public service advertising campaign on a topic of their choice, such as excess phone usage among teens, distracted driving, and voting.
“I think the big things that students get from these workshops are [learning] that there is an entire industry that works to produce all the advertising that they see [and] that it takes a lot of time and work to create an average advertisement, let alone one that really engages an audience and gets them to pay attention,” Chambers said.
Marisa Peacock, senior lecturer in the Sandage Department of Advertising, led “Create, Connect, and Think: Discovering Your Voice on Social Media,” where students explored how social media shapes identity, creativity, and communication.
Peacock said the workshop was designed to connect participants with college life and future careers, encourage collaboration and peer learning, and build students’ confidence and agency as creators, innovators, and problem-solvers—not just consumers of information.
“It was really fun, and I was impressed by the thoughtful responses from students and admired their understanding of how technology, creativity, and problem-solving can be applied to real-world challenges and future opportunities,” Peacock said.
Other Media faculty and staff who participated in Illini Summer Academies were Angela Aguayo, associate professor in the Department of Media & Cinema Studies; Daniel Almanza, assistant director of Media Career Services; Ken Erdey, instructor and technical coordinator for broadcast operations in the Department of Journalism; and Mike Yao, professor in the Sandage Department of Advertising and director of the Institute of Communications Research. Cassie Arner, executive senior associate director of athletics, sport administration at Illinois Athletics, helped organize a workshop that focused on sports media.
Faculty and graduate students from the College of Media co-presented various topics of research at the 76th annual International Communication Association Conference—the largest academic conference for communication scholars—on June 4-8, 2026, in Cape Town, South Africa. The ICA aims to advance the scholarly study of human communication by encouraging and facilitating excellence in academic research worldwide.
This year’s conference theme addressed “Communication and Inequalities in Context.” College of Media presenters included faculty in the Institute of Communications Research and the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising; graduate students in the MS advertising program; and doctoral students in the Institute of Communications Research PhD program.
College of Media research presenters and presentations are listed below in bold.
Pre-Conference: A Causal Inference Institute in Communication Studies Organizers
Shuning Lu, U of Maryland, College Park, USA
Ewa Maslowska, Associate Professor, Advertising
Harsh Taneja, Associate Professor, Advertising
When Communication Makes the Difference: From Signals to Relational Dynamics Human-Machine Communication “Reconsidering Gender: A Computational Examination of Conversational Dynamics between Human and Gendered AI”
Weizi Liu, Texas Christian U, USA
Haocan Sun, Beijing Normal U, CHINA
Mike Yao, Professor, Advertising
Human-Machine Care: Well-Being and Vulnerability Human-Machine Communication “Emotionally Vulnerable Subtype of Internet Gaming Disorder: Measuring and Exploring the Pathology of Problematic Generative AI Use”
Di Wu, Beijing Normal U, CHINA
Haocan Sun, Beijing Normal U, CHINA
Weizi Liu, Texas Christian U, USA
Guoming Yu, Beijing Normal U, CHINA
Mike Yao, Professor, Advertising
Top Papers in Human-Machine Communication Human-Machine Communication “Ontological Reflexivity in Human–AI Communication Research: Toward an Integration Approach Based on Theory-Ontology Alignment”
Mike Yao, Professor, Advertising
Jiyeon Chang, Student, ICR
Weizi Liu, Texas Christian U, USA
Persuasion and Consumer Behavior Information Systems “The Brand Transparency Paradox: Consumer Reactions to Explicit Mentions of Artificial Intelligence”
Viviana Zambrano Rodriguez, U of South Carolina, USA
Louvins Pierre, Assistant Professor, Advertising
“Exploring How Attitudes toward AI and Disclosure Influence Purchase Intention of AI-Integrated Products through Hedonic, Social, and Epistemic Value”
Louvins Pierre, Assistant Professor, Advertising
Viviana C. Zambrano Rodriguez, U of South Carolina, USA
Yanbo Li, Student, ICR
AI in News Production and Consumption Information Systems “Audience Perceptions of AI Newscasters: Social Presence, Trust, and Emotional Responses”
Haochen Ji, Student, ICR
Jiayi Wang, Student, MS Advertising
Kevin Wise, Professor, Advertising
Xiaoyu Xu, State U of New York at Cortland, USA
AI Taking Over: Promises and Pitfalls of AI Use in Research, Journalism, and Society Computational Methods “When Machines Start Writing: Assessing the Impact of Generative AI on Journalism Labor Markets”
Sakshi Bhalla, Student, ICR
Jennifer Henrichsen, Washington State U, USA
Benjamin Toff, U of Minnesota, USA
Cognitive and Emotional Processing Information Systems “Algorithmic Temporality and Parasocial Connection: How Feed Chronology and Gaze Shape Influencer Perception”
Veranika Paltaratskaya, Student, ICR
Alice Ji, Student, ICR
Kevin Wise, Professor, Advertising
Editorial Board Meeting: Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (JCMC)
Chair: Mike Yao, Professor, Advertising
MIAU-steerable AI: Trust, Adoption, Dependency, and Behavioral Regulation in Generative Tech Ecosystems Communication and Technology “Social Media Exit and Platform Loyalty: Generational Differences in Platform Abandonment”
Margaret Yee Man Ng, Associate Professor, Journalism
Ewa Maslowska, Associate Professor, Advertising
Computational Methods Research Escalator Computational Methods “When AI Imagines Consumers: A Computational Analysis of Representational Bias in Generative AI Brand Imagery”
Haochen Ji, Student, ICR
Co-Constructing Trust in HMC Human-Machine Communication “Revisiting Trust in the Era of Generative AI: Factorial Structure and Latent Profiles”
Haocan Sun, Beijing Normal U, CHINA
Weizi Liu, Texas Christian U, USA
Di Wu, Beijing Normal U, CHINA
Guoming Yu, Beijing Normal U, CHINA
Mike Yao, Professor, Advertising
Growing up with AI: Children’s and Adolescents’ Understanding, Trust, and Risk Children, Adolescents, and Media “Children and AI Mind Attribution: Reasoning and Learning with ChatGPT through Social Learning Theory”
Boram Cho, Student, MS Advertising
Jiyeon Chang, Student, ICR
Michelle Nelson, Professor, Advertising
Top Papers Session Information Systems “Following the News: Polarization and the Networked Structure of Attention”
Sakshi Bhalla, Student, ICR
Perception, Trust, and Bias of Artificial Intelligence Information Systems “Emotional and Social Drivers of Artificial Intelligence Pessimism Aversion: Extending the Appraisal Tendency Framework to AI Environments”
Heng Zhang, Chongqing U, CHINA
Nansong Zhou, Student, ICR
Jer Shyuan Ng, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, AUSTRALIA
Shiyi Zhang, Chongqing U, CHINA
Masculinities, Femininities in Digital Communication Feminist Scholarship “Masculine Anxiety and the Making of Racialized Nationalism in China: A Qualitative Investigation Into Sunxiaochuan Bar”
Nini Zhou, Student, ICR
JungHwan Yang, U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA
Angie Leventis Lourgos (BS ’03, journalism), Dan Petrella (BS ’06, journalism; BA ’06, LAS; MS ’10, journalism), Marianne Mather (BS ’96, media studies), Bob McCoppin (BS ’85, journalism), and John J. Kim (BS ’97, advertising) were part of a team that produced the winning work, cited as “powerful coverage of the Trump administration’s militarized immigration sweep of the city that described in vivid, muscular prose how the siege-like incursion of ICE agents unified Chicagoans in resistance.”
Kim previously won a Pulitzer Prize in 2011 for Local Reporting for his photography in multiple Chicago Sun-Times’ articles that documented violence in Chicago neighborhoods.
Chicago Tribune newsroom staff; not pictured is John J. Kim, who was out on assignment. (Photo courtesy of the Chicago Tribune.)
Get to know some of our College of Media Students! Rafael Aguirre is a Class of 2028 advertising major.
What made you choose advertising as your major?
A specific moment that really confirmed my interest happened during my senior year of high school when I visited Revolution, a sports marketing agency. They work on advertisements for organizations like F1, MLS, and other sports leagues in the U.S. Visiting their office gave me a real look at the industry and seeing how creative and collaborative the environment was stood out to me. It made the career feel exciting and [like] something I could genuinely see myself doing. That experience helped me realize that advertising was the direction I wanted to pursue.
What excites you about the advertising industry?
Since starting at Illinois, my perspective on advertising has evolved a lot. One of the biggest things I’ve realized is how quickly the industry changes, especially with the growth of new technology like artificial intelligence. Something that might have worked as an advertising strategy four years ago might not work today because the tools, platforms, and audiences have all changed.
Being in the program has helped me understand that advertising is becoming more modern and data-driven, and that professionals in the field must constantly adapt. It’s not just about creativity anymore, it’s also about understanding trends, using new technology, and analyzing data to see what works. That realization has made the field even more interesting to me.
What has been your favorite class so far and why?
Right now, my favorite class is Advertising 250: Advertising and Brand Strategy. One of the reasons I enjoy it so much is because it’s very project-based and collaborative. Instead of doing a lot of smaller assignments, we work in groups on one major project throughout the entire semester.
For the project, we either choose an existing brand and identify a challenge it’s facing, or we create our own brand and develop a solution to a problem within an industry. For example, a team might look at the energy drink industry and notice that there are too many single-use cans, which creates sustainability issues. From there, they would build a brand concept that addresses that problem. I like how the class encourages creativity, teamwork, and real-world problem solving, which makes it feel like the type of work you might do at an agency.
What resources have been helpful in navigating Illinois?
One resource that has been helpful is access to research databases through our school email. For example, Statista is a platform that provides statistics and industry data that are useful when working on projects or building marketing strategies. Normally, access to those types of resources can be expensive, but as Illinois students we can use them for free through our university accounts.
Having access to credible data makes it much easier to support ideas with real statistics, especially in advertising and marketing where research is important for making strong arguments and decisions.
Are you involved in any media-related RSOs? What makes your organization different?
I’m one of the founders of La Agencia, and I currently serve as the recruiting treasurer. We started the organization in Fall 2025 with the goal of helping students build stronger portfolios. The internship market in media and advertising has become very competitive, so we wanted to create a space where students could gain experience working on projects and develop work that they can showcase to employers.
One thing that makes La Agencia different from some other RSOs is our focus on building a sense of community. In many organizations, people already have their own friend groups and sometimes don’t interact much with new members. As an executive team, we try to encourage everyone to talk to each other and get to know people outside of their existing circles. Our goal is to create a welcoming environment where members feel comfortable attending events, collaborating on projects, and building connections.
What are your plans after graduation?
After graduating, I hope to work at an advertising agency, ideally in sports marketing or copywriting. I’m especially interested in copywriting because I enjoy the creative side of advertising and the process of developing messaging that connects with audiences. Overall, my goal is to work in an agency environment where I can contribute to creative campaigns, particularly in industries like sports where marketing plays a big role in connecting brands with fans.
—Interview byAndrea De La Torre, New Voices Intern
See a selection of College of Media student-produced work created this spring, including broadcasts, documentaries, short films, advertising brand systems, and more.
Advertising
In ADV 498: The Sandage Project, students integrate the concepts, experiences, and skills that have been learned throughout the advertising curriculum with a service-learning project. See a project students created for Lincoln250, for the clients Lincoln Group of DC and the Abraham Lincoln Association, to expand the reach of Lincoln250.org.
In ADV 290: Advertising Design and Direction, students created a brand system for a fictional business and designed a 12-page annual report. See an example for White Lotus by Bella Chasen, junior in advertising.
UI7 Newsroom went live from the Orange Carpet for the 2026 Oskees on April 27 as Fighting Illini Athletics celebrated more than just performance on the field, but also highlighted the student-athletes behind the success. The team of UI7 reporters spoke with players and coaches to capture what this event truly means to the Illini community.
Watch a broadcast by UI7 Newsroom journalism students Nathan Gonzalez and Mary Piacente, featuring interviews with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Republican nominee Darren Bailey. This is the first time UI7 students have conducted an interview with a sitting governor, said Kenneth Erdey, journalism instructor and technical coordinator for Richmond Studio. They also spoke with the two nominees for Illinois comptroller.
Students in JOUR 440: Advanced Documentary Storytelling and Production produced segments to air on Illinois Public Media’s magazine show, Prairie Fire, premiering on May 21:
“The Space” – produced by Amelia Benson, Jonathan Mathew, and Tristan Starzec
“Live at the Mirror” – produced by Wilson Tripp Nichols, Adam Edwards, and Jude Panlilio
“Skeuwep” – produced by Ethan Ashley-Ferguson, Elissa Eaton, and Mike Rock
“Central Illinois Aikikai” – produced by Florence Lin, Paige Whiteside, and Sophia Alvarez
“Orange Krush Senior Night” – produced by Sam Yohnka, Brandon Hood, and Isaiah Adeleke
Watch the Illinois Student Film Festival, produced by students in MACS 366: Film Festivals, featuring work by students across the University of Illinois campus.
Watch the MACS Student Showcase, a faculty-curated selection of student work from media and cinema studies courses throughout the academic year. See program credits with timestamps.
Get to know some of our College of Media students! Rawan El-Bawab is a Class of 2026 CS + advertising major.
What led you to your decision to major in CS + advertising?
In high school, I really enjoyed math and statistics, but I was also very interested in psychology. When I was applying to Illinois, I came across the CS + advertising major. It immediately stood out because I had never seen a program that combined both sides of my interests so well. Even though I only had surface-level experience with computer science, I knew I enjoyed puzzles and logical thinking, so coding felt like a natural next step. I decided to take a chance on it, and it ended up being exactly what I was looking for.
How does combining computer science and advertising shape your perspective or skill set?
We live in a world that’s increasingly digital and driven by technology, so having a computer science background is incredibly valuable. What makes this major unique, though, is the addition of advertising. It pushes you to think beyond just the technical side and really consider people—their behaviors, preferences, and how they interact with products and platforms. That perspective is useful in any field. Understanding concepts like market research and branding gives you a broader view of how businesses operate. Knowing how to code is one thing, but if you don’t know how to connect it to people, it can only go so far. This major really helps you bridge that gap and develop a more well-rounded skill set.
What has been your most impactful or defining experience during your time in the College of Media?
My experience in AAF, the American Advertising Federation, has been one of the most defining parts of my time here. It played a huge role in helping me find both community and confidence. At the end of my freshman year, I applied for an executive position just to see what would happen. I ended up being offered a presidential role for one of the agencies, On the House. I hadn’t originally applied for a position that high because I didn’t think I was qualified, but the previous executive members encouraged me and saw potential in me. It was definitely challenging at first, and there was a lot to learn, but over time I grew into the role and ended up loving it. I stayed in that position throughout my sophomore year, and then in my junior year, I became president of Midnight Oil, an application-based agency with more experienced members. Through those roles, I discovered how much I enjoy working with people, mentoring others, and creating a supportive team environment. That experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow as both a leader and a collaborator.
Do you have any advice for students trying to attain internships?
It helps to identify companies you’re interested in and keep an eye on their websites, because a lot of it comes down to timing. The more you apply, the better your chances. At the same time, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially when it feels like everyone around you is doing the same thing. One thing I’ve learned is that it’s okay if you don’t land an internship right away. There are so many valuable opportunities on campus that can help you build skills and experience in meaningful ways. Looking back, I wish I had been a little kinder to myself during that process. Not having an internship immediately isn’t a reflection of your potential, and it won’t make or break your future career. Keep going, and don’t be too hard on yourself.
What are your career plans after graduating from Illinois, and how has the College of Media helped prepare you for them?
After graduating, I’ll be starting a role in tech sales, which I’m really excited about because it combines both the technical and advertising sides of my major. The College of Media has been a strong support system throughout my time here. My advisor, Megan Tucker Zwilling, played a huge role in that. She was always encouraging and genuinely invested in what I was doing. At times when I took on too much, she helped me step back and find a better balance. Having that kind of support made a big difference. She was always there to answer my questions and help me think through decisions, and that guidance really helped me navigate my path and feel more confident moving forward.
What advice do you have for incoming CS + advertising students?
My biggest advice is to get involved in RSOs. RSOs give you the flexibility to explore different interests in a low-pressure environment, whether you stay for a semester or longer. They’re a great way to gain hands-on experience and figure out what you actually enjoy. For me, being involved in AAF helped me realize that I liked the technical side of my major, but didn’t necessarily want to work at a traditional ad agency. Through internships, I also learned that I didn’t want to focus solely on software engineering. Those experiences helped me narrow down what I was looking for and eventually led me to a role that combines both areas. This major gives you a lot of flexibility because the skills are transferable across different industries. Take advantage of that! Try new things, step outside your comfort zone, and stay open to different paths.
—Interview by Alexa Camacho Villicana, New Voices Intern
Get to know some of our College of Media students! Karys Boeriu is a Class of 2028 advertising major.
What made you choose the College of Media at Illinois?
Initially, I was drawn here because of the tight-knit community in the College of Media, but we’re part of such a huge university. There are so many people who you can meet and many opportunities that the college and the university offer. The College of Media is one of the smaller colleges, and as a result, you get to connect with the faculty and your peers. Just stepping into the College of Media, you immediately feel support, but not just academically. The support goes beyond academics—everyone genuinely wants to see you thrive as an individual. Also, the college is structured in a way to make students feel comfortable and heard, while offering a wide variety of different options and tailoring them towards each student individually.
What Media classes and professors have stuck out to you so far?
One class that comes to mind is ADV 290: Experiential Branding, taught by lecturer Penne Heede. In class, we did experiential branding work focusing on putting together creative trade shows and pop-up experiences. Heede’s class really helped bring in an industry perspective to what I knew about advertising. Also, Heede was extremely knowledgeable as she provided us all with good advice on how to get into the advertising industry.
Another class was ADV 222: Copywriting with senior lecturer Shahar Meron. He’s an exceptional lecturer, and he instilled in me the passion that I have for copywriting.
What different Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) are you a part of on campus?
A huge one for me is the American Advertising Federation (AAF). I’ve loved AAF so far. I’ve been part of two agencies in AAF—NSAC (National Student Advertising Competition) and Midnight Oil, AAF’s full-service local client agency. Recently this year, I’ve joined the executive board as well, which I’ve been super grateful for and felt privileged to be a part of. AAF has been a really huge and important part of my life so far on campus. I’m also a student ambassador for the College of Media, which means I help with different admissions events around campus. Working for the College of Media has been really rewarding for me in the sense that I get to give back to the incoming College of Media family.
What’s your favorite media related project you’ve worked on?
Being part of NSAC has brought so many fun projects. We get a brief every year from a Fortune 500 company, and what we’ll do is essentially devise an entire campaign and then compete regionally or nationally by presenting the campaign we made. One of the clients that we had last year was AT&T, and our whole campaign was about helping AT&T show Gen Z that they can discover life around them and see beyond the screen. We played into the idea of fostering better in-person connections with people. I think that’s a good example of why I got into advertising too, because I wanted to use the power of language and understanding people to do something greater than myself.
If you could talk to yourself as a freshman, what advice would you give?
I would say trust that you have made the right decision for yourself, and that every single thing that comes after will fall exactly into the places it’s supposed to. That’s how I’ve felt ever since I got here, that everything is clicking and falling into place. I think it really started with just saying yes to being admitted into the College of Media, and a ripple effect happened—everything just sort of turned out the way it was supposed to. I just genuinely think the College of Media is incredible, and I think my peers are a true testament to that. The fact that it’s a small community within a big university, which allows you to foster relationships with passionate, curious people, is a big part of the reason why.
April 29, 2026 | Giuliana Means, Communications Intern
Through the course “Globally Focused Advanced Documentary Filmmaking,” five journalism students and three advertising students explored the lives of female head porters, called kayayei, in a faculty-led trip to Accra, Ghana, over spring break.
“I know from my experience that traveling and working abroad, especially in Africa, can be an inflection point in one’s life and globally contextualize values,” said Charles “Stretch” Ledford, associate professor of journalism, who has visited more than 55 countries throughout his career. “It was incredibly gratifying to be in a position to provide students this kind of opportunity.”
The course focuses on the labor of the kayayei, young women and girls—some barely in their teens—who migrate from Ghana’s rural north to the country’s urban centers, primarily Accra and Kumasi, in search of work. That work consists of carrying loads that can exceed their own body weight through the city’s sprawling markets, earning the equivalent of less than a dollar per load while exposing themselves to exploitation, musculoskeletal injury, chronic anxiety and depression, and other health and wellness risks.
Focusing on Accra’s Kantamanto used clothing market, the class is producing a documentary focusing on three narratives about kayayei who work there: a day in the life of Sahada Shehabu, a 22-year-old kayayoo; the risks of the work, described by Muhammad Salifu, founder and director of the Kayayei Youth Association; and the role the kayayei play within the market’s economy, explained by Edward Atobrah, deputy general secretary of the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association.
You’re dealing with something that has a real impact, and you’re seeing change happen and immersing yourself in a community that you may not have had an opportunity to [otherwise visit].
Tomi Dugbo
Senior in Advertising
The journalism students will also create a 360º-immersive video, photo essays, an audio segment, and social-media friendly short vertical videos. They are sharing their initial work at the campus Undergraduate Research Symposium on Thursday, April 30, in a poster presentation titled “They Want to Go Home: Ghana’s Kayayei.”
Kaitlyn Devitt, a senior in journalism who worked primarily on the documentary film and 360º-immersive video, says the team worked an average of six hours a day over seven shooting days in three locations.
Devitt wants to pursue international journalism after she graduates, especially after this project, because of how rewarding it was.
“This project was perfect to get my feet wet,” Devitt said. “The topic itself was interesting because these women are my age, and who’s to say this couldn’t be me if I hadn’t had the privilege of growing up in America?”
During the trip, the advertising students worked with the Kayayei Youth Association to amplify their mission. They also communicated the journalism students’ reporting processes on social media and documented their experience through a blog site.
“This experience taught me the importance of collaboration where you’re not only working with advertising students, but journalism students,” said Tomi Dugbo, a senior in advertising. “You’re dealing with something that has a real impact, and you’re seeing change happen and immersing yourself in a community that you may not have had an opportunity to [otherwise visit].”
Advertising students also spent time visiting global ad agencies, such as Innova DDB and Ogilvy Africa Ghana, to analyze cross-cultural campaign approaches. They also plan to develop strategic communications campaigns for partner NGOs.
For all the students, it was their first time producing journalism and strategic communications in a foreign country.
“Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good,” advised Marisa Peacock, senior lecturer of advertising. “There’s always time to refine, edit, and evolve it, but you can’t let the perfect shot stand in the way of getting the work done.”
With only a week to conduct interviews, collect footage, and produce the strategic communications deliverables, the team persevered in an environment that demanded that they adapt quickly.
Adelyn Mui, a senior in journalism, dove headfirst into the project to capture an authentic representation of the women’s stories and overcome the challenges of not having the connections she does when reporting on campus.
“Doing global journalism taught me a lot about journalism in general because those same skills I learned in Ghana, I can apply here locally on campus; they were just amplified since I was in a different country,” Mui said.
Students from Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone and the University of Media, Arts and Communication in Ghana were partners in the project under the umbrella of the Illinois Partnership for African Women’s Health Narratives, spearheaded by Ledford. It is a continuation of his 2023 collaboration with Dr. Francis Sowa, Dean of Faculty of Communication, Media and Information Studies at Fourah Bay College, and new collaborator, Dr. Stephen Tindi, a lecturer at University of Media, Arts and Communication in Accra.
Alison Davis, senior lecturer of journalism, said the Illinois students naturally fell into the role of technological mentors for their West African peers.
“Students from the other countries were able to pick up our equipment and run with it; that’s the collaboration I like to see,” Davis said. “People are not that much different. You get a group of college students together, and they’re all similar. I love that.”
Next year, Ledford hopes to continue the story with reporting in Ghana’s Northern Region, examining how climate change may be accelerating the “push” of young women from Ghana’s rural and relatively poor north to work as kayayei in the country’s more developed south.
Major funding was provided by the University of Illinois through the BRIDGE Program, Vision 2030 Global Strategy Implementation Grant, Campus Research Board, Illinois Global Institute, Department of Journalism, the College of Media, and the Karin and Folke Dovring Endowment Fund, with additional support from Lisle International and Sony Electronics.
Photos by and courtesy of Charles “Stretch” Ledford and Marisa Peacock.
Get to know some of our College of Media students! Ryan Hanson is a Class of 2026 advertising major.
Why did you decide to major in advertising?
I was already interested in advertising due to a research paper I did during my senior year of high school, where I had the opportunity to interview OKRP (now BarkleyOKRP), the agency behind the 2022 Burger King Whopper campaign. I spoke to the account director and the two creatives behind the ad, and after meeting with OKRP, I was able to see and learn about the creative process. I saw how free they were to be creative and realized I wanted that experience in my future career.
Tell me about your time at The Daily Illini as a creative developer.
I started working at The Daily Illini in February 2024 and worked on video production during my first year. The Daily Illini gave me another outlet to hone my skills in video editing and content planning. I then moved on to socials management, which involved sending out newsletters and posting on different platforms. During my time at The Daily Illini, I was able to interview Michael DeCoste, known on campus for his karaoke performances. For assignments, we’re usually in groups of two to three, but in this case, I was working by myself—filming on a tripod using my phone, coming up with questions, editing, and putting it all together with graphics and B-roll. This experience taught me that you have to be flexible when you are working on a story.
What advice would you give to an undergraduate student within the College of Media majoring in advertising?
Students should think about what they’re interested in within media and try everything. There are so many classes in the College of Media and with advertising. Advertising is a larger field than you realize, and there are a lot of opportunities. I had no idea there was a social media certificate. I recommend trying to get certificates. They offer so many in the College of Media. See College of Media certificates.
What are your future career goals, and how is your experience at the College of Media helping you with your goals?
I am interested in working on a creative team at an agency. I want to focus more on the digital side, whether that be social media or digital advertising, as I feel that is where advertising is shifting towards. The College of Media has prepared me for how technology is evolving and how advertising is evolving with it. In ADV 360: Innovations in Advertising, we talked a lot about AI along with search engine optimization. I’d say a lot of professors are making a point of AI right now and how best to use it for the creative process, such as storyboarding, drafting, and generating some ideas.
