News and Announcements

The Department of Communication is excited to highlight the work of PhD candidate Damon Darling, whose scholarship explores how Queer communities relate to and find meaning in the environments around them.

This symposium brings together a wide range of experts to address pressing questions about media, protest, and resistance. Six professors from across the U.S. will present research highlighting different topics, cases, and approaches, and an additional panel will feature the perspectives of four Department of Communication graduate students. Sessions are free and open to all.

Three College of Humanities professors have been selected as 2026 Faculty Fellows: Isabelle Freiling (communication), Matt Haber (philosophy), and Leandra Hernández (communication). Faculty Fellows receive a semester of full release time from teaching and administrative responsibilities in order to spend time advancing scholarly or creative research projects.

The University of Utah has long been recognized as a powerhouse of applied research, fielding a deep bench of talented scholars and students taking on some of the most complicated and intractable problems society faces. The College of Humanities is no exception, boasting many faculty who are deeply committed to research that translates directly into the public good.

For RG Simbiak, PR Cases & Campaigns (COMM 3585) provided an opportunity to explore what public relations work looks like in practice, while applying strategic thinking to a real-world brand with strong community values.

Three Communication scholars' recent research was featured in @theU this week, which found that few Americans encounter low-credibility health websites.

For Alisha Jones, PR Cases & Campaigns (COMM 3585) offered a chance to step outside a familiar advertising framework and explore how public relations strategy approaches many of the same challenges from a different angle.

Dr. Isabelle Freiling, Dr. Sara Yeo, and Dr. Haoning Xue have published new research examining how people accept partially true health information when it is produced by humans, generative artificial intelligence, or a combination of the two.

For Jaydin Kroutil, Intermediate Journalism (COMM 4555) offered more than an opportunity to strengthen her reporting skills—it provided a space to reflect on her experiences in sports media and amplify voices that are often overlooked.

Leandra H. Hernández, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the University of Utah was awarded the Everett Hughes Holle Award for Social Justice and Community Engagement on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at the National Communication Association 111th Annual Convention in Denver, Colorado.

For Daniela Imbrett-Hook, PR Cases & Campaigns (COMM 3585) offered an opportunity to bring strategy, analysis, and creativity together in a capstone experience focused on real-world public relations challenges.

For Emma Lemler, Absolute Communication (COMM 3630) offered a direct window into what a career in strategic communication can look like beyond the classroom—complete with real clients, real expectations, and real deliverables.

When Addison Burnsed enrolled in Intermediate Journalism (COMM 4555), she was looking to gain an introduction to the world of journalism and help her develop a journalistic style. What she gained was far more tangible: a published opinion piece, hands-on newsroom experience, and a platform to advocate for an issue that affects her daily life.

Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the College of Humanities, Michael Middleton brings together rigorous scholarship, innovative pedagogy, and student-centered leadership.

The Department of Communication, in partnership with Continuing Education, is launching a new Professional Certificate in Conflict/Dispute Resolution and Mediation, a one-semester program that fulfills the approved training requirements for the Utah Court Roster of Mediators (Basic Roster).

The Department of Communication is excited to highlight the work of PhD candidate Ellie Estrada, whose scholarship explores how communities build connection, make meaning, and share stories.

U of U researchers from Communication, Kinesiology, Population Health Sciences, and Nursing have secured a $4M CDC grant to expand access to lifestyle change programs in rural communities.

Associate Professor Jake Nelson has published new research examining how journalists understand the evolving role of social media platforms and how they imagine the audiences who use them

Associate Professor Tae Lee and Assistant Professor Haoning Xue have been awarded funding through the FY26 Summer Cancer Control and Population Sciences (CCPS) Pilot Grant Award Program at the Huntsman Cancer Institute for their collaborative project, “An Exploratory Study on Tailoring Core Value-Based Narrative Messages to Address Cancer Prevention Behaviors and Policy Support for Rural Residents Using Large Language Models (LLMs

The John R. Park Debate Society, in partnership with the Provost’s Office and Insight Debate, is expanding debate education across campus through its new Debate Across the Curriculum initiative, culminating in the first annual Great Campus Debate on November 11, 2025, focused on whether generative AI does more harm than good.