Four students in the Spring 2025 ADV 409: Media Entrepreneurship course won 2025 American Digital Design Awards presented by Graphic Design USA magazine.
Alessandra Lopez, Macy Miller, Ben Riseman, and Emmanuel Tinajero, all 2025 graduates in advertising, were seniors at the time of the class.
The students created a comprehensive pitch deck for a new mobile app they conceptualized called Bad St!tch, which lets users share the ways they upcycle their clothes. If another user likes an upcycling idea but doesn’t want to or is unable to do it, they can hire the person who published the idea to do it for them, giving designers a way to showcase their work and potentially acquire customers.
Terry Kasdan, adjunct lecturer in advertising who teaches ADV 409, said the team won the award in the student work category for Bad St!tch’s brand identity and user interface, which they developed in class.
“As much as I still love my ‘day job’ as a digital marketer and agency owner, I have to admit, the hours I spend in class with the amazing students I’m so privileged to teach in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and Technology Entrepreneur Center are truly my favorite parts of the week. Nothing beats seeing them transform ideas into real ventures and gain recognition for their creativity and hard work,” said Kasdan.
Their work was published in GDUSA’s 25th annual Digital Design Awards Showcase, alongside entries by Bank of America, Dell, and Marriott International, Inc. Kasdan said more than 13,000 entries across all categories were submitted this year and just 100 winners were chosen.
I suspect AI will continue to be used to help political strategists in creating, testing and managing campaigns. This means we’ll probably receive even more personalized ads—I’m hopeful that we, as citizens, are able to know what is AI and what is not, and what is truthful and what is not, so we can make more informed decisions in the voting booth.
Michelle Nelson, Professor and Head of the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising
Ready or not, here it comes—artificial intelligence is everywhere and it’s only going to become more prevalent in the years to come, say those in the know. Michelle Nelson, professor and head of the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, was one of several University of Illinois faculty who shared future predictions of AI in their area of expertise in this News-Gazette article. Nelson, who offered insights about AI and political advertising, said while artificial intelligence is used in many ways across the advertising industry, humans are still needed in the field.
Faculty, graduate students, and recent alumni from the College of Media co-presented various topics of research at the 75th annual International Communication Association Conference—the largest academic conference for communication scholars—on June 12-16, 2025, in Denver, Colorado. 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 “Disrupting and Consolidating Communication Research.” 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. (Please see the ICA conference program for complete listings.)
Angharad Valdivia and Supathida Kulpavaropas
Intersectional Experiences of Oppression and Resistance
Chair: Angharad Valdivia, Professor Emerita, Institute of Communications Research
Making Sense of AI Across the Media Industries: Disrupting Communication Research by Bridging Divides
“Enterprise AI: Hidden Ironies for Creators, Marketers, and Media Scholars”
Mike Yao, Professor of Digital Media, Advertising; Director of the Institute of Communications Research
Playing for a Better Life: Serious Games and Gamification
“The Power of Play: The Effectiveness of Serious Game on Depression Stigma”
Nansong Zhou, ICR student
Donghan Fu, Wuhan U, China
Zikun Liu, Wuhan U, China
Feminist Disruptions: Institutionalizing Gender in Communication Studies
“Intersectional FSD, a Utopia Yet to Be Achieved”
Angharad Valdivia, Professor Emerita, Institute of Communications Research
Alice Ji
Media Literacy and Information Environments
“The Effect of Message Fatigue on Visual Attention to, and Elaboration of Mental Health Infographics”
Alice Ji, ICR student
Veranika Paltaratskaya, ICR student
Kevin Wise, Professor of Advertising
Conversations With the Machine (Priming, Tensions, Failure, Impact)
“Competitors or Complements? Examining the Effect of Human-AI Interaction on Human-Human Interaction”
Maggie Zhang, ICR student
Sakshi Bhalla, ICR student
Yanbo Li
Algorithmic Bias and Transparency
Chair: Yanbo Li, ICR student
“Recommendation Transitions on YouTube”
Yanbo Li, ICR student
Sakshi Bhalla, ICR student
Harsh Taneja, Associate Professor of New and Emerging Media, Advertising
Organizers
Kevin Wise (center) with Chen (Crystal) Chen at left, PhD ’23, ICR; and Yanfang Wu at right, Wise’s former student while at Missouri
Consolidating Communication Research Through Causal Inference
Shuning Lu, U of Maryland
Ewa Maslowska, Associate Professor of Advertising
Harsh Taneja, Associate Professor of New and Emerging Media, Advertising
Nathan Walter, Northwestern U
Information Processing and Health Outcomes
“Debunking COVID-19 Falsehoods: A Test of Three Cognitive Predispositions as Buffers for Partisan Influences”
Wei Wang, U of Wisconsin–Madison
Yihan Danny Jia, Boston U
Maria Grabe, Boston U
Kevin Mudavadi, Indiana U Bloomington
Gillian Paxton, ICR student
Jennifer Hwang, U of California, Los Angeles
Jimmy Ochieng, Indiana U Bloomington
MIAO-nipulating Trust: AI Dialogue, Verification, and Cross-Platform Misinformation
“Comparing Conversational Agents’ and Social Media Posts’ Roles in Correcting Health Misinformation”
Ziyang Gong, iSchool
Junqi Shao, iSchool
Nisa Rahman, ICR student
Leona Yi-Fan Su, Associate Professor of Advertising
Personalization and Privacy
“Shh… Is Algorithm Listening?” How Folk Beliefs and Knowledge Shape Our Coping Mechanisms Against Targeted Ads”
Jiyeon Chang, ICR student
Se Il Park, ICR student
Yujin Lee, ICR student
Language and Social Interaction Research Escalator Session
“The Market of Marriage: Matchmaking and the Reinforcement of Gender and Class Boundaries in China”
Anqi Peng, ICR student
Making Sense of the Machine and the Communication with it
Mike Yao, Harsh Taneja, and ICR students
“The Minds Behind the Prompts: How Mental Models Shape User Interaction with Generative AI”
Weizi Liu (MS ’19, advertising; PhD ’24, iSchool)
Mike Yao, Professor of Digital Media, Advertising; Director of the Institute of Communications Research
“From ‘Ghostly Companions’ to ‘Invisible Mechanisms’: Exploring Lay Representations and Performance Expectations of AI Across Task Contexts”
Jiyeon Chang, ICR student
Mike Yao, Professor of Digital Media, Advertising; Director of the Institute of Communications Research
Weizi Liu (MS ’19, advertising; PhD ’24, iSchool)
Popular Media and Culture Research Escalator Session
“Reclaiming Dignity or Reinforcing Misogyny? A Study of Sigma Male Meme Localization in China”
Weiting Du, ICR student
Anna Liu
Promising Student Papers
“Online Ratings in the Social Context: Exploring Consumers’ Critical Data Literacy and Sense-Making of Numeric Information”
Anna Liu, ICR student
Communicating with the Machine: Dynamics and Sophistication
“Testing the Machine-Likeness Hypothesis: How Humans Communicate Like Intelligent Agents”
Hai Liang, Chinese U of Hong Kong, HONG KONG
Longhan Wei, Chinese U of Hong Kong, HONG KONG
Maggie Zhang, ICR student
Jiyuan Qi, Chinese U of Hong Kong, HONG KONG
Anfan Chen, Hong Kong Baptist U, HONG KONG
GATO-lyzing Minds: Digital Advocacy, Social Cues, and Online Persuasion Tactics
“When Humans Anthropomorphize Non-Humans: The Influence of Language Cues and Human Motivation on Anthropomorphism and Persuasion”
WooJin Kim, U of Colorado Boulder
Chang-Dae Ham, Professor of Advertising and Associate Head of Graduate Studies
Supathida Kulpavaropas
Advertising and Consumer Behavior
“Does the Phrase ‘Limited Edition’ Embedded in Ad Matter? The Influence of an Advertising Attribute on Consumer’s Choices and Variety-Seeking Behavior”
Supathida Kulpavaropas (PhD ’17, ICR)
Sela Sar, Professor of Advertising
Xiaowei Zhang (MS ’23, advertising)
Qing Ang (MS ’24, advertising)
Virtual Social Processes
Chair: Sela Sar, Professor of Advertising
“What Makes Fake News More Viral? Emotions as Catalyst for Fake News Virality”
Sela Sar, Professor of Advertising
George Anghelcev, Northwestern U
Qing Ang (MS ’24, advertising)
Xiaowei Zhang (MS ’23, advertising)
Critical (Race) Disruptions and Transformations in Dominant Communication Paradigms
“The Tensions Between Internationalizing and Intersectionalities in the ICA”
Angharad Valdivia, Professor Emerita, Institute of Communications Research
News is vital to an informed democracy and newspapers in India remain the most credible news providers. Reinstating a national readership survey is essential—not just for the publishing industry but for the health of India’s public discourse.
Harsh Taneja, Associate Professor of New and Emerging Media in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising
As a part of an ongoing research project, Harsh Taneja, associate professor of new and emerging media in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, recently published an opinion piece in the India news outlet Scroll-in. He focuses on the implications of not counting newspaper readership on advertising markets and the impact on democracy if the most credible providers of news disappear.
The Indian Readership Survey, suspended since 2020, is a crucial measure of public discourse, media habits, and socio-economic trends. “For the print media industry in India and their advertisers, this survey provides crucial insights into readership patterns,” Taneja wrote. “Newspapers need advertisers to stay afloat, and advertisers need readership numbers to justify their spending. Readership surveys make that possible.
“Newspapers play an integral role in civic culture,” Taneja continued. “Being informed empowers people to make more responsible individual and collective decisions. At a time when social media is rife with misinformation, and almost half of India’s internet users use WhatsApp for news, credible sources of information such as newspapers are more important than ever.”
For his outstanding career accomplishments and generous monetary support of advertising students, Murray Kalis (BS ’61) was recognized by the College of Media with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award.
Murray Kalis with advertising students during one of his visits to the College of Media.
Kalis, whose work has taken him across the world and back, heading his own agency, and serving as chair of the largest global network of independent agencies, has experienced some remarkable moments throughout his 50 years (and counting) in advertising.
He’s helped numerous companies build their brands, including United Airlines, Nestle, KFC, Wetzel’s Pretzels, Hormel Foods, and Starbucks Coffee. Most recently, a former client brought him in as a strategic investor for Dave’s Hot Chicken, where he is creating TV and social media advertising that has helped it grow to over 300 restaurants, and just begun international expansion.
In 2020, he established the Murray Kalis Award for Creativity in Advertising to provide monetary gifts to advertising students judged for creative excellence. Students who demonstrate smart positioning, outstanding creative concepts, strong execution, and a “wow” factor receive awards for Best Single Ad, Best Campaign, and Best Portfolio.
“The response to the Award for Creativity in Advertising has been beyond what I anticipated,” Kalis said. “The students are thrilled to express creative ideas. And the questions I get when I teach are insightful, mature, and often surprising.”
“Murray Kalis has charted an exciting career in advertising and shares his wealth of experience, advice, and encouragement with our students,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “The College of Media appreciates the time he devotes to our classes—as well as his advocacy of creativity through the award that he established—and we are proud to honor him with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award.”
Murray Kalis early in his advertising career.
As a student at the University of Illinois, Kalis felt fortunate to be taught by the legendary “Father of Advertising Education” Professor Charles H. Sandage.
“I can picture him to this day. He made an impression on me that still guides my work,” Kalis said. “He discovered advertising could impart its own magic: That a great ad can do more than sell, it can add value to the product itself.”
Kalis said Sandage always approached advertising from a highly philosophical and intellectual way and encouraged critical thinking. “He used a kind of Socratic method [of teaching].”
If students gave an incorrect answer, Sandage had a way of guiding them to the right one.
“He would start asking you questions, and he would lead you to understand, to try to defend your position, and suddenly you realize, ‘Oh, that doesn’t make any sense,’” Kalis said.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree—and thanks to the University of Illinois Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program—Kalis was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Army where he put his civilian education in advertising to work in psychological operations.
“I had two years of active duty basically running an ad agency,” he said. “We found illustrators and writers among the draftees, and we would create leaflets to be dropped out of planes.”
Following his military service, a master’s degree in fine arts, and a college teaching position in Iowa, Murray joined ad agency Leo Burnett in Chicago.
There, he quickly rose up from junior copywriter to creative director in an era when the ad industry resembled the glossy, high-profile lifestyles portrayed in the television series Mad Men.
As a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and Emmys judge, Kalis met Mad Men star Jon Hamm at a reception for the cast and producers.
Kalis said they discussed the similarities of the TV show and his real-life experience in advertising, which included “making those pitches, dealing with clients, and having to work your way through three-martini lunches.”
Kalis’s creative career also introduced him to actor Tom Hanks. To prepare for a role as a Chicago advertising executive in the 1986 film Nothing in Common, Hanks followed Kalis around the office to get a feel for his daily routine.
At this point in his career, Kalis says he is mainly working in social media, which is a lot different than when he first started in the business. Then, there were just three television channels that offered an opportunity to advertise.
While media delivery options have changed over the years, Kalis said the purpose of advertising—finding solutions to consumer problems—has remained the same.
“The media changes,” he said, “but people don’t. It’s Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, just like when I was entering Greg Hall for the first time.”
After all these years, Kalis is still full of energy and enthusiasm for the advertising industry.
“I love the biz. I love doing this stuff,” Kalis said. “I love looking at a product and figuring out how to match it with a consumer.”
Above: Murray Kalis was creative director for this Dave’s Hot Chicken ad.
Get to know some of our College of Media students! Kara Yoo is a Class of 2026 advertising major.
How does advertising at the University of Illinois connect you to your interests? I am very interested in photography and videography because they allow me to capture moments and turn them into memories. I do a lot of photo and video work within the advertising major, and that creative process is something I genuinely enjoy. Right now, I’m taking a copywriting class, but I’ve also taken courses in research and consumer insights, which have shown me how creativity plays a role across all areas of the advertising major. The professors structure projects to be very open-ended, giving students the freedom to incorporate creativity in their own ways. Taking a variety of classes has given me a well-rounded perspective on how I can incorporate creativity into different types of advertising work. The program does a great job of encouraging students to explore creativity across both the analytical and design sides of advertising.
Which advertising course has been your favorite and why? ADV 284: Consumer Insight was one of my favorite classes because it was the first class in which I really felt like I understood an advertising campaign. We collaborated in groups to develop a campaign for a brand. It was very immersive to go through the process of creating a campaign from start to finish and doing that with a team taught me how important collaboration is for building a successful campaign.
What is your role within the American Advertising Federation? This year, I am the Chief Executive Officer of AAF Illinois, which requires managing many different operations within the club and delegating roles to make our executive board run smoothly. I started as a general member of the AAF Illinois Hyperlink agency and became the Hyperlink project manager and eventually the Hyperlink president, which prepared me to be successful in the role I have now. In this role, I help coordinate meetings, professional gatherings, social events, and the Mentor-Mentee program. I also take part in various projects like making a video for the organization to show during meetings and events or taking photos for our social media platforms. My work as a CEO keeps me involved with communication and planning within AAF Illinois, while allowing me to create the work I love.
My other role in AAF Illinois is being involved in the National Student Advertising Competition. NSAC is a great agency for people who are interested in advertising and want more hands-on, collaborative experience. The members are split into teams of creatives, media, and plans book. I am part of the video team for our creative group, and work on production and editing.
How have your experiences on campus helped prepare you for your future career? I am interested in being on the creative side as an art director or creative director. The core classes in advertising showed me the different parts of advertising, which allowed me to explore my niche in creation. Additionally, trying different agencies and having leadership roles in AAF has helped me grow my confidence in my professional abilities. The experiences I have been a part of at this school as an advertising major have shaped the way I communicate with people as a team member and a leader. I see how individuals use their own creativity in collaborative situations, which is a great skill to have for my future. I look forward to using that insight and everything else I have learned at this school in my future.
What advice do you have for incoming Media students? I started freshman year with an open mind and a willingness to try as many things as I could. My sisters both told me how they regretted not exploring more opportunities their freshman year, so I made it my goal to take advantage of everything that came my way. My openness to new experiences is what led me to AAF, which is currently one of the most important parts of my life.
I really recommend that incoming freshmen not go into their first year with a restrictive plan. Oftentimes, people focus on always having a set plan, but freshman year is the perfect time to “go with the flow” and see where your interests take you. Through exploring different opportunities, I found certain things that I didn’t mesh with, and that’s okay. It’s all about trusting the process and pursuing what you are interested in during that time. This approach gives you an opportunity to get to know yourself and what you want to do with your future.
—Interview by Brooklynn Hubbard, New Voices Intern
Get to know some of our College of Media students! Hailey Kotowski is a Class of 2026 advertising major.
What excited you about majoring in advertising? What really excited me was the versatility of the field. I liked the idea that I could do almost anything with the major. When I first got to Illinois I was undeclared and I had a variety of interests, so I wanted a path that wouldn’t limit me to just one industry. Taking ADV 150: Introduction to Advertising my freshman year really influenced my decision to major in advertising, along with my involvement in the American Advertising Federation. My classes and being part of AAF helped me explore the advertising field and encouraged me to major in it.
Which RSOs have you found most valuable for advertising students? The first RSO I have found most valuable for advertising students is the American Advertising Federation at Illinois. AAF is a great club for advertising students to get hands-on experience, learn new skill sets, and gain knowledgeable insight into the advertising world. AAF is a good RSO to join if you want to get to know other students in the advertising major; it is a good way to make connections and to put yourself out there and to explore different opportunities and career options within advertising. Another RSO I found most valuable was Her Campus, an Illinois organization that provides an online hub for women by providing content that is both a resource and a source of entertainment, highlighting campus news, events, campus photos, fashion and lifestyle content specifically tailored for women in Illinois. Staff members will gain journalism, marketing, publicity, and digital media experience. These RSOs are great for gaining those advertising skills and getting hands-on experiences.
What advice would you give to new students in media? I would advise new students to take advantage of as many opportunities as they can. You never know where something might lead, so it’s important to stay open and be proactive. Networking is also huge so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and build those relationships with your professors and advisors—you never know what opportunities they can provide. The more people you know and the more visible you are, the better positioned you’ll be. It really comes down to confidence and initiative; if you know you’re qualified for something, go for it. Also joining RSOs that tie into your interests is very important; you can learn so many things from them and RSOs help you explore different interests you may have. So don’t feel like you have to join an RSO that is all about advertising; you can join a journalism club or a film club. Keep your interests and options open. The same goes for media classes. Just because you’re an advertising student doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to just advertising classes.
What advice would you give to current advertising students who are looking to network? My biggest piece of advice would be to be yourself. It sounds simple, but staying true to who you are makes a huge difference. Don’t be shy or scared to put yourself out there—just go for it. Confidence is also key. You have to believe in yourself and trust that you belong here. Even if something feels intimidating at first, having the confidence to try can lead to really meaningful opportunities and personal growth. It is also really important to take advantage of any opportunities that come your way; you never know where those opportunities may lead you. Joining RSOs is also super important in college and getting involved on campus is the best way to meet new people, build skills, and to find your place in the community.
The honorary degree award recognizes individuals who have shown exemplary, extraordinary, and distinguished contributions to knowledge and creativity in a specific field, or sustained activity of uncommon merit.
The Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising was the key sponsor of Burrell’s honorary degree, with three additional departments supporting his nomination, including the Department of African American Studies, the Marketing Group in the Department of Business Administration, and the Department of Communication.
Jason P. Chambers, professor of advertising and associate dean for access and engagement at the College of Media, describes Burrell as his “favorite person in the history of the [advertising] industry.”
Tom Burrell is unquestionably a pioneer in the field of advertising. He helped to normalize the image of African Americans in advertising.
Jason P. Chambers
Advertising Professor and Author of Advertising Revolutionary: The Life and Work of Tom Burrell
“He started in advertising at a time in which the number of African Americans operating in a professional capacity could have been measured in the dozens,” Chambers said. “He is one of the people who is singularly responsible for helping to get African Americans on TV.”
Burrell’s career, first as a copywriter and then as an agency owner of the Burrell Communications Group, spans more than 40 years. He created an approach to advertising, “positive realism,” that is still utilized today in the field.
Burrell has been elected to the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame, one of the industry’s highest honors. He also received the Albert Lasker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Advertising and the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism. In 2017, he became the first African American creative elected to the One Club Creative Hall of Fame.
Despite the many challenges he faced throughout his career, Chambers said Burrell provided an opening into advertising for African Americans who likely otherwise would not have found one, giving them a place to learn the business, to develop as professionals, and to be themselves.
“Tom Burrell is unquestionably a pioneer in the field of advertising,” Chambers said. “He helped to normalize the image of African Americans in advertising.”
The Sandage Department of Advertising will host a luncheon for students and faculty to meet Burrell while he is on campus.
Update May 29, 2025: Congratulations to the students who presented “Uman Tok: Tailoring Hope, Renewing Futures in Sierra Leone” for receiving an award for Outstanding Oral Presentation at the Undergraduate Research Symposium from theOffice of Undergraduate Research! Some of these students previously won an award in 2024 for Outstanding Exhibit on this same research topic, which they continued work on in 2025.
Updated April 28, 2025
Students from all four majors in the College of Media participated in the annual University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Week, held April 20-26.
The Undergraduate Research Symposium, the signature event held on Thursday, April 24, at the Illini Union, features presentations, posters, and performances from students across campus.
Below is a list of Media student presentations as well as acknowledgements of Media graduate students and faculty who have mentored students presenting at Undergraduate Research Week.
Oral Panel
Health Modalities
“Evaluating the Persuasiveness of LLM-based Chatbots in Health Communication”
Tuesday, April 22, 4-6 p.m., Illini Union Rooms A, B, C, and South Lounge
“Salesperson-Product Matching Recommender System”
Alexia Rendon, Junior, Computer Science + Advertising, COM
“Understanding High school Students’ Experiences in a Culturally Responsive Computing Program”
Skyla Jin, Freshman, Computer Science + Advertising, COM
“Virtual Reality Game for Interactive Motion Planning”
Grace He, Junior, Computer Science + Advertising, COM
Omosefe Edomwande, Freshman, Computer Science, ENG
Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program
The Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program offers undergraduate students with little or no research experience the opportunity to work with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars on their research projects, explore the culture and process of research, and build on their existing abilities within a community of scholars.
Nina Issel, Sophomore, Journalism (COM)
Media Research Mentors
Doctoral student Veranika Paltaratskaya (above right), Institute of Communications Research, was the research mentor for Alina Huang, sophomore in communication and psychology (LAS), who presented “Understanding Consumer Interactions with Product Transparency Apps (PTAs) Using the Persuasion Knowledge Model” as part of the Social Science & Human Behavior poster presentations.
Doctoral student Alice Ji (above right), Institute of Communications Research, was the research mentor for Ayushi Maskey, junior in statistics + computer science (LAS), who presented “The Effect of Message Fatigue on Attention to Mental Health Messages” as part of the Heath & Wellness poster presentations.
Kevin Wise, professor of advertising, was the research mentor for Pushti Vora, junior in brain and cognitive sciences (LAS) who presented “The Impact of Mindless Scrolling on Dopamine Regulation and its Parallels to Gambling Addiction” as part of the Social Science & Human Behavior poster presentations.
Get to know some of our College of Media students! Lauren Barjami is a Class of 2026 advertising major.
What interests led you to choose advertising at the University of Illinois? Prior to coming to Illinois, I knew I wanted to pursue something in business that would also allow me to incorporate creativity. In high school, I started my own business, selling the art I made. When it came time to apply for college, I ended up getting accepted into advertising, which turned out to be the perfect fit for me. I immediately fell in love with the advertising program and the College of Media as a whole. Advertising sort of fell into my lap, and I am so grateful for that because it is a major that allows me to incorporate my personal interests of art and business into what I learn and, eventually, turn that into my career.
In what ways have your aspirations evolved since you began your college journey? Throughout my time on campus, I have been able to hone in on what I want to pursue through my involvement in different registered student organizations and classes. I have seen such a broad perspective of different opportunities, which has allowed me to find the specific path in advertising that is best for me. Fall semester freshman year, I took Statistics 107 and fell in love with the course so much that I became a course assistant. This class allowed me to discover my interest in the relationship between statistics and advertising, which goes to show how many routes in advertising you can take when you are given a wide array of opportunities. After exploring the science of advertising, I knew I wanted to go the technological route, so I declared a minor in Computer Science and Informatics. I want to work in some variation of an advertising data analyst role or to get into consulting because those are perfect fusions of technology and advertising. I have a summer internship consulting at Baker Tilly, where I hope to further immerse myself in the technical side of the advertising world and navigate what I want my future to look like.
Are there any professors or mentors within the College of Media that have helped guide this journey? There are so many people I look up to within the college and the list will continue to grow. The first College of Media mentor I had was Daniel Almanza, assistant director of Media Career Services. I was a member of the New Voices Internship program that Daniel coordinated, and that experience gave me a chance to develop my skills in media and familiarized me with multiple resources within the college, which was so helpful as a first-generation student. He also encouraged me to join different RSOs like the American Advertising Federation, which is now a primary aspect of my college career. Having that mentor relationship comforted me and acclimated me into the college environment early on. Daniel is always happy to give back to the students he works with, and he is a great person to have around.
I also want to mention Steve Hall, senior lecturer of advertising—everyone in advertising loves him. He is always running around, doing something, but no matter what, he always gets back to his students and has their best interests in mind. He is such a caring faculty member who is always willing to help students find opportunities and wants them to succeed far beyond graduation.
Which courses within the College of Media have you enjoyed the most? One class I really enjoyed was ADV 392: Industry Immersion Experiential Learning, with Amazon Ads and Global Overview, taught by Steve Hall. I loved taking a high-level course that taught me about advertising technology. We worked with a real client, managing actual products, campaigns, and budgets, which gave me insights on how advertising careers operate in the real world. The class taught me how to utilize tools for analytics and allowed me to develop presentation skills by creating and presenting pitches to clients. The class is a great balance between technical and personal skills within the field.
Another class I really enjoyed is ADV 480: Social Media Analytics with Professor Leona Yi-Fan Su. This course focused on advertising informatics and taught me how to use different programming languages to run social media campaigns. The content of the course was based on the technological parts of advertising that I find most interesting, which made it a perfect class for me.
The last class I want to mention is ADV 409: Media Entrepreneurship with Terry Kasdan, an adjunct lecturer. This class is essentially like Shark Tank. We split into groups to come up with product ideas and present them, teaching us how to advertise and sell properly. The instructor works in the industry, so we are learning from someone with first-hand experience. This class is a good escape from the technical classes I take because it is solely based on creativity and working with a team, which I find to be very enjoyable.
Do you have any advice for current or incoming freshmen as they start their journey? Do not put any pressure on yourself at all. Join anything and everything you can. Even for only two weeks, make your schedule back-to-back with trying new things, and then find out what you like most from there. Do not put too much pressure on yourselves over internships, and remember it is okay to get rejected. In college, everyone is on their own path, so don’t be too hard on yourself as you navigate your own. Make it a priority to make friends, join clubs, find hobbies, and have fun. Find a support system that cares for you whether that’s College of Media or anyone else on campus. Don’t focus too much on the past or future, just live in the present and appreciate everything because it all goes by so fast.
—Interview by Brooklynn Hubbard, New Voices Intern
