College of Media | DEV College of Media

College of Media faculty, staff lead workshops for high schoolers at Illini Summer Academies

high school participants at Media summer academy

July 7, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood

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.

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.

summer workshop at Richmond Studio — (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.

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Media alumni at ‘Chicago Tribune’ win 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting

June 4, 2026

Five College of Media alumni have won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting for their contributions to a Chicago Tribune piece on immigration.

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.”

The coverage was also recognized as a 2026 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Public Service.

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 — *Chicago Tribune* newsroom staff; not pictured is John J. Kim, who was out on assignment. (Photo courtesy of the *Chicago Tribune.)*

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Media studies alum Stephen Feder named 2026 College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award winner

May 21, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood

Veteran producer and executive Stephen Feder’s (BS ’02, media studies) career ranges from working alongside both independent and major studios spanning television, film, and global franchises, with a recent move up to senior vice president of production at Disney Live Action.

Feder’s impressive career achievements, along with his continued engagement with the college, have earned him the 2026 College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award.

“Stephen Feder has had an illustrative career and has been closely connected to the College of Media, from sharing advice with students at Media Career Night panels to inspiring graduates at our Media Convocation ceremony to participating as a film guest at Roger Ebert’s Film Festival,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “He is most deserving of this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award.”

In his new role, Feder will bring his breadth of experience to Disney’s live action film slate.

“I really feel very lucky and very happy to be here. The mentality of Disney is to create experiences for audiences and ultimately to make them feel good when they go into a theater. Just knowing that I get to be a part of that culture is such a blessing, especially at this time in my life,” said Feder, who has a young son.

Feder has always appreciated film, theater, and the arts, even participating in the Illini Union Board musicals when he attended Illinois. But he realized early on his greatest contribution to the field was in supporting and understanding how the creative process works.

“I really have dedicated much of my life, whether it’s being a producer on a particular project or an executive who oversees a slate of projects, to really championing and creating an environment for the artist to succeed in,” he said.

Feder began his career in Chicago, after earning his master’s degree at the London School of Economics. His first job was working as a producer on the Jerry Springer Show, a popular 1990s tabloid-style, daytime talk show known for its altercations between guests. Despite the raucous environment, Feder said he learned about the power of telling a story.

I really have dedicated much of my life, whether it’s being a producer on a particular project or an executive who oversees a slate of projects, to really championing and creating an environment for the artist to succeed in.

Stephen Feder

Senior Vice President of Production at Disney Live Action

After a year, he moved on to Towers Productions in Chicago as a series producer on the NBC docu-comedy series Sports Action Team, which was a comedy show shot like a documentary, before he decided to try his luck in Los Angeles.

He got his break after connecting with actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen on the making of Brüno, which became a pivotal moment in Feder’s career trajectory. The experience introduced him to people who became his network as he built his career.

“A lot of other opportunities led from that particular one, which is kind of how it works. Once you get going you start to build this network of people and advocates,” Feder said.

Feder has managed to excel on a variety of film projects with success across independent and large-scale motion picture companies.

Feder was a founding member of Annapurna Pictures, overseeing development and production on acclaimed projects like Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!!, Wong Kar-Wai’s The Grandmaster, and Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers.

From 2016 to 2019, he served as vice president of film development at Lucasfilm, managing production for films like Solo: A Star Wars Story. Following his post at Lucasfilm, Feder joined Rian Johnson’s T-Street Productions team, along with producer Kiri Hart, known for her work on the Star Wars franchise. Feder and Hart also launched a new production label Counterculture, producing projects like Rock Springs, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2026.

Feder was executive producer on Kumaré, which received the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2011. Two years later, the film was shown at Ebertfest, which was a great honor for Feder who always admired Roger Ebert and recognized the impact Ebert had on his career.

“His love of movies permeated society, and his spirited way that he would talk about [movies], and the conviction of his opinions around movies is really what drove me to [realize] that a single story could spark such a debate. That alone opened my mind to how important that medium is,” he said.

Feder, who served as the alumni speaker at the college’s 2022 convocation, believes his education at the College of Media laid a foundation for him to understand the power of a story, whether that’s in the form of an ad, an article, or a film.

“I think there’s elements of ethics that you learn, like how you need to understand that the words that you’re putting out into the world matter, how they’re going to be interpreted. It’s not only understanding your audience but understanding the power behind the story that you’re telling,” he said.

“Film is a very powerful medium because it can reach so many people, if you’re so lucky.”

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Journalism alum Karina Anglada selected as winner of 2026 College of Media Emerging Leader Award

May 21, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood

Karina Anglada (BS ’10, journalism; MS ’12, iSchool) has leveraged her broadcast journalism degree to tell compelling stories about iconic professional sports teams, earning nine Regional EMMY® Awards over a five-year period as a media producer and editor for the Golden State Warriors.

After transitioning from sports to the tech industry, Anglada now helps others shape their narratives as a senior strategic development manager for video at Adobe.

“I made the jump to the tech world and that’s been an incredible career opportunity for me,” she said. “Now I get to meet with customers across the globe who are using Adobe software to help tell their company’s and their brand’s stories.” Her portfolio includes customers across media and entertainment brands, news and sports broadcasting, and marketing, advertising, and content teams for corporate and enterprise organizations.

Anglada’s career trajectory, along with her dedication to the College of Media, led to her being named the 2026 College of Media Emerging Leader Award recipient.

“The College of Media is pleased to honor Karina Anglada as this year’s Emerging Leader Alumni Award winner,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “Her eagerness to share her technical and creative knowledge, her award-winning career in sports media and digital media, and her engagement with Illinois overall make her an exemplary recipient.”

Anglada, who grew up in Chicago and now lives in Georgia, never expected to build a career in the tech industry. In hindsight, she recognizes how well her journalism education prepared her for the transition.

Working on a global team with colleagues across Australia, Europe, and Latin America, Anglada supports customers using Adobe Video, while also gathering feedback that helps shape new implementations and inform product strategy. She frequently presents at large events, showcasing the software’s capabilities.

Anglada likens her presentations to being “on-air” talent—requiring her to be engaging, understand audience needs, and translate complex ideas into clear, accessible language.

“I feel like I did that in my journalism classes. You take these stories that have a lot of information, and you condense them down into bite-sized pieces so that people can understand them,” she said. “Looking back, it’s like I was built for this [job] because I had so much of the foundation [already]. A lot of things apply from my degree that I still take with me every day.”

A lot of things apply from my degree that I still take with me every day.

Karina Anglada

Senior Strategic Development Manager for Video at Adobe

Anglada said her journalism classes, as well as her internship at Fighting Illini Productions, were a catalyst for her future in sports media. The hands-on experience allowed her to put into practice what she learned in the classroom, whether it was shooting, editing, directing, live video production, or post-production work, for a variety of Illinois sports including football, women’s basketball, wrestling, and volleyball.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was the beginning of my career kind of taking off,” she said.

Following graduation, Anglada worked as a producer and editor for the Detroit Pistons, and then at Auburn University where she worked as assistant director of video services.

In 2017, she moved to California to take a job as a producer and editor for the Golden State Warriors. Most of her job focused on post-production editing for video boards, social media, and documentary-style television shows that aired on the regional sports network.

One of her favorite projects—and one that garnered her a Regional EMMY® Award—was a video she helped produce featuring Vice President Kamala Harris, who is from the Warriors’ former home city of Oakland, California, and a young African American girl who shares the same hometown. The video’s underlying theme centers around the widespread impact Harris had on Black female youth while making history as the 49^th vice president of the U.S.

“To have that honor bestowed on our team, and to have my skill set and my craft of editing be recognized by my peers was an incredible, incredible thing,” she said.

As an alum, Anglada has stayed engaged with the College of Media, participating in alumni panels, serving as a keynote speaker at University of Illinois Web Conference in 2023, and mentoring Media students.

In addition to offering advice about the current industry, Anglada emphasizes the opportunities a journalism education can offer.

“There are the standard jobs, like on-air talent, producer, director, newsroom-type-focused careers. But there are so many other fields that you can go into with a journalism degree, and I’m a testament to that. I worked for three different sports organizations, and now I’m in tech,” she said.

Anglada speaks often at professional events about the use of AI in today’s media landscape and can appreciate both the power and challenges it presents.

Anglada says she’s excited about the innovations the Adobe Research teams have been working on to help creatives and video editors across the industry, including Project TurnStyle, Project SoundStager, Project FrameForward, and Project CleanTake.

“I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing some of these features in our tools down the road.”

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Highlights of student-produced work from Spring 2026

May 18, 2026

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.

Advertising Design and Direction annual report cover

Journalism

Oskees Live Pre-Show Coverage

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.

Illinois in Session

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.

Prairie Fire

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

Media & Cinema Studies

Illinois Student Film Festival

Watch the Illinois Student Film Festival, produced by students in MACS 366: Film Festivals, featuring work by students across the University of Illinois campus.

Program 1

Program 2

MACS Student Showcase

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.

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Journalism and advertising students amplify female head porters’ stories through global course experience in Ghana

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.

Group of journalism students and faculty in Ghana

“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 with Marisa Peacock outside Innova DDB Ghana

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.”

This course continues a broad focus on global women’s health narratives. Ledford and Davis have previously led students to report on local solutions to period poverty in Sierra Leone.

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.

See more photos

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.

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Illinois Public Media recognized with four statewide broadcasting awards, including Best Small Market Radio Station

April 21, 2026 | IPM News

Illinois Public Media won four Crystal Mic Awards from the Illinois News Broadcasters Association.

Radio and television stations from across Illinois entered the contest. Winners were tiered by whether the station is in a small or large market. The judges considered material produced between July 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025.

Illinois Public Media is a not-for-profit public media service of the College of Media; IPM is the NPR and PBS member stations licensed to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The station was honored with the following:

INBA Crystal Mic Award: Best Small Market Radio Station

INBA Crystal Mic Award: Best Small Market Radio – Podcasting

INBA Crystal Mic Award: Best Small Market Radio – Breaking News

INBA Crystal Mic Award: Best Small Market Radio – Political Report

Best Small Market Radio – Podcasting

What We Brought is a limited series exploring the Asian American experience in Central Illinois. Through voices from seven Asian American communities, it shares powerful stories of identity, resilience, and the things carried between countries—be it food, memories, language, or the weight of the past. It was reported and produced by Nidhi Shastri with assistance and editing by Kulsoom Khan, Arielle Raveney, and Arjun Thakkar.

Best Small Market Radio – Breaking News

On October 30, 2024, Illinois Public Media journalist Jim Meadows and meteorologist Andrew Pritchard broke into programming on WILL-AM 580 and WILL-FM 90.9 to report on a fast-moving fire on dried-out farmland in eastern Champaign County. The intense flames and massive smoke decreased visibility, closing Interstate 74 for hours.

Best Small Market Radio – Political Report

In the spring of 2025, 11 people competed in the election to fill five open seats on the Champaign Unit 4 Board of Education. Education reporter Emily Hays created an innovative way to explain the candidates’ positions to the public. She asked the members to answer a questionnaire. In addition to on-air reporting, she created an interactive digital story. Users hovered above the board members’ faces as their quotes about particular issues popped up on the screen.

Best Small Market Radio Station

This entry represents a compilation of spot news, features from an in-depth series before the start of the second Trump administration, and excerpts from our new podcast focused on weather and climate as well as our statewide talk show that aired on six NPR member stations at the time. We also included a feature produced with the Illinois Student Newsroom, which is a unique partnership with the Department of Journalism in the College of Media at the University of Illinois. At least 10 students each semester help us with local reporting, including spots and features. Veteran public radio editor Christine Herman edits them.

Read original story: Illinois Public Media recognized with four statewide broadcasting awards, including Best Small Market Radio Station – IPM Newsroom

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Media students to present at 2026 Undergraduate Research Symposium

April 20, 2026

Students from all majors in the College of Media will participate in the annual University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Week, held April 26-May 2.

Update June 2, 2026: The team of journalism students who presented “They Want to Go Home: Ghana’s Kayayei” received an Outstanding Poster Presentation Award.

***

At the Undergraduate Research Symposium, the signature event held on Thursday, April 30, at the Illini Union, students across campus will present their research.

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.

See the full program.

Oral Presentations

Student Activism, Advocacy & Belonging

Queering the Dorm: Tracing Allen Hall’s LGBTQ History Through Oral History
Jenny Lin, Senior, Journalism
(Research Mentor: Siobhan Somerville, Gender & Women’s Studies)

Analyzing Intersectional Discrimination

Film Study on How 1990s Western-centric Narratives Impact the Representation of Chinese Characters
Yidan Hu, Sophomore, Media & Cinema Studies
(Research Mentor: Carrie Wilson-Brown, Media & Cinema Studies and Advertising)

Poster Presentations

Social Science & Human Behavior

An Analysis of Marketing Strategies and Best Practices in Agritourism Businesses
Hailey Kotowski, Senior, Advertising
(Research Mentor: Renata Endres, Recreation, Sport & Tourism)

Learning & Human Development

From Screen to Shopping Cart: Consumer Responses to “As-Seen-In” Shoppable Ads in Streaming Television
Abby Wilson, Junior, Advertising
(Research Mentor: Michelle Nelson, Advertising)

BTW 250 Ideas Expo

Identifying a Refined Mission for the Union Courtyard Café
                Katie Fedorski, Sophomore, Undeclared, EXP
                George Lefebvre, Sophomore, Environmental Social Sciences, ACES
                Case Rosenfeld, Freshman, Business Undeclared, BUS
                Ally Szarek, Sophomore, Advertising

Society, Culture & Social Issues

Creating With Compliance: A Student-Led Usability & Engagement Study
                Pihu Chawra, Sophomore, Industrial Design, FAA
                Thea Abang, Sophomore, Computer Science + Advertising
                Glyce Mitchell, Sophomore, Computer Science + Advertising
                R. Talagadadeevi, Sophomore, Computer Science + Advertising
                (Research Mentor: Marisa Peacock, Advertising)

Cells & Molecules

Effect of Lithium Salt Concentration on Ion Motion in PEO-Based Polymer Electrolytes

Yueming Gong, Sophomore, Media & Cinema Studies
(Research Mentors: Varun Nelavoy, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering & Christy Landes, Chemistry)

Data & Information

An EEG-Based Computational Pipeline for Affective Measurement of Consumer Sentiment
                Alexia Rendon, Senior, Computer Science + Advertising
                Ocean Ng, Sophomore, Computer Science, ENG
                Aditi Cherukuri, Sophomore, Brain & Cognitive Science, LAS
                Zaynab Ahmad, Junior, Neuroscience, LAS
                Bilal Arif, Freshman, Computer Science, ENG
                (Research Mentor: Marisa Peacock, Advertising)

Nature, Life & Environment

Genetic Disorders in Domestic Cats: Inheritance Patterns and Ethical Breeding Implications
                Ziyi Wang, Sophomore, Advertising
                Taoran LI, Freshman, Comparative & World Literature, LAS
                (Research Mentor: Alicia Schneider, Animal Sciences)

Social Issues & Policy

They Want to Go Home: Ghana’s Kayayei—Outstanding Poster Presentation Award
                Adelyn Mui, Senior, Journalism
                Prayse Odomes, Senior, Journalism
                Samuel Rink, Junior, Journalism
                Samuel Yohnka, Junior, Journalism
                Kaitlyn Devitt, Senior, Journalism
                (Research Mentors: Alison Davis, Journalism & Charles “Stretch” Ledford, Journalism)

Social Science & Human Behavior

Algorithmic Temporality and Parasocial Connection in Influencers
Cody Drake, Junior, Advertising
(Research Mentor: Veranika Paltaratskaya, Institute of Communications Research)

Food Systems

Bridging Research and Public Understanding: Inclusive Digital Engagement for Agrifood and Climate Data
                Ektarit Nophaket, Sophomore, Computer Science + Advertising
                Christina Chen, Senior, Advertising
                Zhuoyi Wu, Senior, Advertising
                (Research Mentor: Marisa Peacock, Advertising)

Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program 2026 Cohort

The Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program offers undergrads with little or no research experience the opportunity to work with graduate students and post-doctoral scholars on their research projects, explore the culture and process of research, and build on their existing abilities within a community of scholars. Running each Spring semester, the program consists of a one-on-one research experience with their research mentor, and the Introduction to Research course, designed to complement the research mentoring experience, orienting undergraduate mentees to broader topics in the research process.

Thea Abang, Freshman, CS + Advertising
(Research Mentor: Marisa Peacock, Design for Responsible Innovation)
Cody Drake, Junior, Advertising, and Sustainable Design, FAA
(Research Mentor: Veranika Paltaratskaya, Institute of Communications Research)

Media Research Mentors

Science & Technology | 12:15 – 1:30 PM, Illini Rooms ABC & South Lounge

Creating an Inclusive IT Learning Space: Understanding Media Literacy and Technology Access for Retired Older Adults
Maaike Niekerk, Senior, English, LAS
(Research Mentor: Stephanie Craft, Journalism)

Student Activism, Advocacy & Belonging | 3:45 – 5:00 PM, Room 213

The Impermanence Problem: Building Durable Student Advocacy at the University of Illinois
Hunter Farnham, Senior, CS + Economics, LAS
(Research Mentor: Matthew Ehrlich, Journalism)

Social Science & Human Behavior | 3:45 – 5:00 PM, Ballroom (2nd Floor)

Mindless Scrolling, Cognitive Control, and Psychological Well-Being: Correlational Evidence from a Stroop-Based Study
Pushti Vora, Senior, Brain & Cognitive Science, LAS
(Research Mentor: Kevin Wise, Advertising)

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Skornia Symposium to explore current public media challenges

April 14, 2026

Members of the campus community are invited to the 2026 Skornia Symposium on Friday, May 1, to explore the challenges public media faces today. The event is free and will be held from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., at Collins Studio, Campbell Hall, located at the northeast corner of Main and Goodwin in Urbana.

Rapid shifts in technology, AI, media consumption habits, and funding have challenged media organizations to adapt their approaches to understanding and serving audiences. Academic and industry experts will discuss how public media can best engage with audience research to identify and meet community needs, strengthen audience relationships, and innovate content in ways that honor public media’s mission.

Panelists include:

Joni Deutsch, senior vice president of podcast marketing and audience development at The Podglomerate

Deutsch is an award-winning audio professional and NPR veteran with 15 years of experience as a project manager, podcast marketer, and audience growth specialist. In her current role, she leads marketing and audience growth strategy for a high-profile portfolio of podcast clients including NHPR’s “Bear Brook” (downloaded 25 million times and praised as one of the “best true crime podcasts” by The Guardian and Paste Magazine) and Magnificent Noise and PRX’s “This Is Dating” (named “one of the best podcasts of 2022” by New York Times and Vulture), as well as PBS, NPR, Netflix,The Boston Globe, Freakonomics Radio, Stanford, Harvard, HubSpot, and more.

Seth Lewis, professor and Shirley Papé Chair in Emerging Media, journalism program director, University of Oregon

In his research, Lewis examines the social implications of emerging technologies and their consequences for news and public life—from the early days of social media to contemporary developments in automation, algorithms, and generative artificial intelligence. He has authored several books, including News After Trump: Journalism’s Crisis of Relevance in a Changed Media Culture (Oxford University Press, 2021), co-authored with Matt Carlson and Sue Robinson, and the edited volume Boundaries of Journalism: Professionalism, Practices and Participation (Routledge, 2015).

Amy Mitchell, founding executive director of the Center for News, Technology & Innovation

Prior to her role at CNTI, Mitchell served as managing director of news and information research at the Pew Research Center. In her 25 years with Pew Research, Mitchell helped launch the journalism research program and served as managing director. She was responsible for the center’s research related to news and information, including how the public accesses, engages with, and creates news, what news organizations are providing, and the evolving role of technology in the flow of news and information.

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Super Bowl commercial expert Pat Burke to be alumni speaker at Media Convocation

March 23, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood

Patrick Burke (BS ’95, advertising)—the creative mind behind top-rated Super Bowl commercials for Lay’s, Rocket Mortgage, and Jeep—will serve as the alumni speaker at the 2026 College of Media Convocation ceremony.

Pat Burke and actor Bill Murray on the set of the 2020 Jeep “Groundhog Day” Super Bowl commercial.

Now the executive creative director at the Los Angeles–based ad agency Special U.S., Burke most recently oversaw the 2026 Uber Eats Super Bowl campaign, bringing his total number of Super Bowl commercials created to 18.

Although Burke didn’t originally set out to become a leader in Super Bowl advertising, he says he’s grateful for the success and opportunities the path has brought.

“It wasn’t my intention to build my career around the Super Bowl, but that definitely led to [my current job] opportunity and even things like the U of I wanting me to speak at convocation,” he said.

Burke, a three-time commercial Emmy nominee and winner of a Cannes Lions Grand Prix, spent the first 30 years of his career in the Chicago advertising industry working at several different agencies, including DDB Chicago, Ogilvy & Mather, and Highdive Advertising.

While at DDB, Burke helped create two Super Bowl commercials that scored in the top five of the USA Today AdMeter ratings. During his six years at Highdive, he made six commercials that landed in the top-five AdMeter spots.

In 2025, Lay’s “The Little Farmer” scored #2 on the USA Today AdMeter. In 2020, Rocket Mortgage’s “Comfortable” starring Jason Momoa scored #5 and Jeep’s “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray won first place.

“It wasn’t my intention to build my career around the Super Bowl, but that definitely led to [my current job] opportunity and even things like the U of I wanting me to speak at convocation.

Pat Burke

Executive Creative Director at Special U.S.

Burke said that collaborating with Murray on the Jeep commercial, a parody of the 1993 film, was the highlight of his career.

“I didn’t think we’d ever get [Murray] because he doesn’t really do advertising or commercials, and doesn’t have an agent, so he’s hard to reach,” Burke said. “Even if you want to get him to [make] a movie there’s a famous process you have to go through where you send your script to a P.O. Box in Charleston, South Carolina, and then you just wait, and you hope that he gets back to you.”

Murray would eventually see the script and agree to do the commercial just a few weeks before the Super Bowl.

A behind-the-scenes peek at the making of the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Super Bowl commercial starring Jason Momoa. Burke is seated in back, second from left.

“As far as celebrity encounters for me, it doesn’t get any better than Bill Murray,” Burke said.

Another career-defining moment for Burke was the 2012 release of the “Skittlespox” commercial, which he crafted for Skittles while working at DDB Chicago.

The commercial sparked some controversy among critics who found the premise odd, and even Burke admits it may have run for too many years. But the ad is still the highest-testing Skittles commercial in brand history and a pop-culture phenomenon inspiring countless online re-creations and Halloween costumes.

For Burke, seeing an idea he’s worked on for months come to fruition is the best part of his job.

“You come up with an idea that you think is amazing, and so often, it doesn’t end up getting made, or if it does, it gets changed—death by a thousand cuts,” Burke said. “If something does make it all the way through and it gets made in a way that you pictured it, seeing all [the work] come to life is definitely the fun part.”

Burke’s return to campus will bring him closer to the western suburbs of Chicago where he grew up. Burke, who described his younger self as a “creative kid,” came to the University of Illinois to study art but then switched his major to advertising.

He credits a class with Peter Sheldon, senior lecturer of advertising, for having a major impact on him and his future career.

“Peter is just a brilliant creative himself and so we all learned a ton from him. He had us all inspired and feeling like we could actually do this for a living,” Burke said. “A bunch of us [in his class] ended up getting jobs and succeeding in the industry, and are still working today, so he’s got a good legacy.”

Burke keeps in touch with Sheldon and has returned to his class over the years to give feedback on student portfolios.

A nature enthusiast who enjoys fly fishing, camping, hiking, and backpacking, Burke has also published many pieces in outdoor magazines like The Drake, a grassroots journal about flyfishing.

Burke also serves on the board of directors for Chicago Voyagers, a non-profit organization serving Chicago’s at-risk youth through trauma-informed outdoor/adventure-therapy programming.

Burke encourages young graduates, especially those entering a creative field like advertising, to focus on simplicity in their work.

“Focus on a simple idea—those are what resonate. Just stick to it and always keep that as your North Star.”

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