Student Spotlights
Graduate Student Spotlights
Click the photos below to learn about some of our outstanding
Department of Communication graduate students.
PhD
PhD, CommSHER
PhD
PhD, Rhetoric & Critical/Cultural Studies
MS, CommSHER
PhD, Rhetoric
PhD, Rhetoric & Critical/Cultural Studies
PhD, Critical/Cultural Studies
MA, Critical/Cultural Studies
Allison Blumling
PhD student in Rhetoric and Critical/Cultural Studies
I research discourses of health and healing, specifically the roles of whiteness and neocolonialism in the U.S. American wellness/alternative healing industry.
My absolute favorite thing about living here has been the Sundance Film Festival, but I've also found some time to enjoy the local arts culture and the proximity to so many awesome National Parks.
Daniel Chavez-Yenter
PhD student in CommSHER
We are so excited to announce newly conferred PhD student Dr. Daniel Chavez-Yenter will start his professional career as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in University of Pennsylvania's Department of Medicine in both the Division of Hematology-Oncology and the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy. He has previously worked in Mississippi and Alabama as a program manager of evaluation and research and a research associate focused on HIV/AIDS service delivery among the Black LGBTQI+ community and mental health disparities in the US. Daniel holds a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan. While at Utah, he also served as a research assistant the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and was also awarded a prestigious F99/K00 Fellowship training grant from the National Human Genomic Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His research focuses on improving representation and benefits of genetic testing for health purposes for Latino/e populations specifically through improving communication and engagement strategies used in clinical and community settings to reduce testing inequalities. As part of his F99/K00 award, he will be taking his self-funded K00 postdoctoral award to the University of Pennsylvania Department of Medicine.
“INVESTIGATING LATINX POPULATIONS’ ATTITUDES, PERCEPTIONS, AND USE OF GENETIC TESTING”
This mixed methods qualitative and quantitative dissertation uncovered that Latino/e populations largely found that interviewees and survey respondents view genetic testing for health purpose (carrier screening and cancer predisposition testing) positively, had strong family and friend networks that would support them testing, but when it came to their belief in their ability to seek testing, their perceived agency was the greatest predictor of the intention to use genetic testing.
This dissertation was one of the first to use a fully comprised Latino/e study cohort for a survey analysis, and find that the current focus of many interventions on attitude and knowledge may not be the best area for targeting. His planned research at Penn will work on ways to empower Latino/e (and indeed other diverse communities) to be able to seek out testing when they so desire through improving their perceived agency.
This work is crucial to reducing testing disparities and ensuring equitable distribution of the technology and its benefits.
Euni Kim
PhD student in Rhetoric and Critical/Cultural Studies
I'm interested in the ways that people and communities of color represent and conceptualize their own racial identities. Most recently, I've been focusing on how structural violence might be configured as a core component of racial identity writ large.
I'm actually not very outdoorsy, so while the landscapes out here are absolutely beautiful, what I really appreciate about Salt Lake City is how much it feels like a "small" town—it's quieter, there's less traffic, the average person tends to be pretty nice, the cost of living isn't very high, and it's very pedestrian-friendly. But we still have "big city" amenities, like plenty of good restaurants and great public transportation options.
I've been incredibly grateful for the mentorship I've received here. Yes, the difficulty of the program itself is designed to prepare you for an academic career, but I feel so much more prepared because of our faculty's willingness to mentor students and really invest in their success (like co-authoring articles or book chapters with graduate students).
Our department has a very high-output culture, but it is also very collaborative and supportive, rather competitive. It very much feels as though faculty are *encouraging* me to pursue a high-output path, rather than punishing me if I don't.
Grace Rogers
MA student in Critical/Cultural Studies
Critical media studies, focusing on Asian Americans in pop culture, film, and TV.
I really appreciate that Salt Lake has such a variety of things to do! I'm not a very outdoorsy person, but I've really enjoyed some of the easier hikes and water activities that Utah has to offer. I also love exploring the food/coffee scene, as well as a lot of the cultural opportunities that the city has to offer.
Everyone here has such a wide variety of research interests and areas of expertise! I am constantly learning from my peers and professors alike, and the support that we provide to each other often helps to relieve the pressures that are a part of being a grad student.
Henry Allen
MS student in CommSHER
Science communication. At the moment, my research is looking at evaluating trust in science and STEM self-identity across different communities.
I enjoy living in Salt Lake for the outdoors. The variable seasons are very pleasant, even if Summer can be a little hot!
The program here at the U feels very flexible towards the needs of students. I feel like grad student feedback is meaningfully considered and acted on.
The department’s culture is great! Everyone is friendly and respectful.
O.M. Olaniyan
PhD student in Critical/Cultural Studies
I study narratives of global Blackness and diasporic belonging from a critical anti-colonial perspective. Specifically, my dissertation is focused on how #EndSARS (movement against police brutality in Nigeria) is interpreted within a diasporic narrative by Black people across the world.
The free public transportation the University provides is a huge plus!
I have learned so much from various professors in my classes; I refer frequently to notes and assignments I did during the first two years of coursework. It has also been amazing to learn from faculty outside of class, whether that’s chatting over lunch, serving on a committee together, or running into them at conferences. During the pandemic, I greatly appreciated the way department administrators remained flexible and fought for graduate students to have financial and academic support. And finally, I am incredibly lucky to have strong support and continuous wisdom from my advisor.
Every department has its problems and issues of meritocratic elitism, overwork, exclusion are common across academia. That being said, I have found that our department culture increasingly prioritized being vocal about those issues, rather than brushing them under the rug. Additionally, our department goes above and beyond to maintain welcome and support for students as a continual practice, not just once at the beginning.
Jessie Chaplain
PhD student in Rhetoric
Climate Justice Activist Rhetorics, right now, specifically, Indigenous Climate Activism within the United Nations Climate Change Conferences.
Salt Lake City is a beautiful place. The surrounding area offers many amazing activities and experiences.
The program is very supportive of graduate students, always proactively finding ways to help them succeed.
Our department has amazing people working to make the university and Salt Lake City a more diverse and welcoming place. I am astounded by the ways in which many in our department put their research into action.
Dallin Adams
PhD student
We are so excited to announce that newly conferred PhD student Dr. Dallin Adams will join the Department of Mass Communication at Sam Houston State University in Fall 2024 as an Assistant Professor of Mass Communication. He earned his PhD from the University of Utah and a BA and MA from Brigham Young University. While at the U, he taught design, quantitative research, and strategic communication courses and received the Department of Communication Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award. His research interests lie at the intersection of narrative persuasion, health communication, and prosocial messages, with an additional focus on psychophysiological measurement. He managed the BioComms Lab while pursuing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at BYU and the Health Communication and Technology Lab while at the U. He currently serves as the vice-chair for the Communication and the Future Division of the National Communication Association. Born in Texas but having spent most of his life in Utah, Dallin and his family look forward to finally returning to Texas and eating Blue Bell ice cream again.
“MODALITY, PERSPECTIVE, AND EMOTION: THREE EXPERIMENTS EXPLORING THE PERSUASIVE POWER OF NARRATIVE MESSAGES”
Consisting of three message experiments, the dissertation examined persuasion in response to narrative messages concerning adolescent adoption. Utilizing survey and psychophysiological data, the experiments considered character perspectives, emotional language, and the impact of narratives compared to other types of messages. The research identified characteristics of participants, message features, and pathways that may influence persuasion.
Kourtney Maison
PhD student
We are so excited to announce that newly conferred PhD student Kourtney Maison will be continuing her professional career as Chair and Assistant Professor of Communication Studies and Theatre Arts at Kansas Wesleyan University. Her studies have included communication about health and bodies, with a particular interest in disability. In her free time, she enjoys tabletop roleplaying games, ceramics, and playing endless rounds of fetch with her beloved dog, Sherlock.
“UNRULY VISIONS: THE RHETORICAL INTERSECTIONS OF HUMANITY, BODIES, AND VISUAL ZOERHETORICS”
This dissertation explored the role of vision in determining the humanity of bodies by looking at the zoerhetorical forces within the display of bodies across three different venues: The Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the Museum of Contemporary Digital Art, and BODIES... The Exhibition.
