Our faculty produce works of the highest scholarly merit that illuminate the role of communication in contemporary social issues. We routinely publish books with top university and commercial presses, place articles in leading national and international journals, earn grants from federal and state funders, and receive awards for our scholarship and creative works.
Check out the department faculty's featured research and creative work in the Deans' Notes.
Our department is also proud to highlight the diverse research endeavors of our students, who are presenting their work at prestigious conferences around the world. Under the guidance of faculty mentors, these students are making meaningful contributions to their fields and exemplify our commitment to academic excellence and global engagement. Recent examples of student research include:
- Ziyu Deng (Undergraduate, Advisor: Dr. Zhenzhu Zhang) – IAMCR Conference, Singapore (July 13-17, 2025) – “From Independence to Soft Beauty: The Localization and Gender Discourse Reconstruction of European and American Female-Themed Media”
- Yingxuan Shi (Undergraduate, Advisor: Dr. Zhenzhu Zhang) – ACM CHI Conference, Yokohama, Japan (April 26-May 1, 2025) – “Ronaldo’s a poser! How the Use of Generative AI Shapes Debates in Online Forums” (Co-Presenter)
- Jiawen Hu (Undergraduate, Advisor: Dr. Zhenzhu Zhang) – IAMCR Conference, Singapore (July 13-17, 2025) – “Utopia or Social Hub? Community Belonging and Identity Construction at the China Otome Game Convention”
- Xinyun Wu (Undergraduate, Advisor: Dr. Zhenzhu Zhang) – IAMCR Conference, Singapore (July 13-17, 2025) – “Fans of Husbandos or Celebrity Crush? How Social Media Influence Parasocial Relationships”
Find out more about student research opportunities here.