Professor of Digital MediaDirector of the Institute of Communications Research Education Affiliations Course Specialties Research and Creative Endeavor Mike Yao’s research focuses on the social and psychological impacts of interactive digital media. He conducts research and writes on a variety of topics such as online behavior, digital literacy, and computer-mediated communication. His current interest is […]
Category: Faculty
Marisa Peacock
Senior Lecturer of Advertising Education Course Specialties Background Marisa Peacock is the founder and chief strategist of The Strategic Peacock, helping organizations implement effective social media strategies. As a senior lecturer, she teaches the Sandage Project, digital content and social media management and AI and Advertising. She also leads the Social Media Lab, where advertising […]
Ewa Maslowska
Associate Professor of Advertising Education Background Ewa earned her Ph.D. in Communication Science from the Persuasive Communication program at the University of Amsterdam. Her dissertation explored how personalized marketing communication influences consumers, taking situational and personal factors into account. She completed a postdoc in the Medill IMC Spiegel Digital & Database Research Center at Northwestern […]
Christopher Ball
Assistant Professor of Journalism Education Course Specialties Background Dr. Ball is an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism. Before joining the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he was a research assistant and instructor while working on his PhD at Michigan State University. During this time, he worked extensively on various grant funded research projects […]
Alison Davis
Senior Lecturer of Journalism Education Course Specialties Background Alison Davis has been producing national documentaries for over two decades. Her programs have received numerous awards including seven regional Emmy Awards and over 20 Emmy nominations. Davis produced documentaries for the Big Ten Network when she joined Illinois’ Division of Intercollegiate Athletics / Public Affairs in […]
Kevin Wise
Professor of Advertising Education Course Specialties Background I came to the College of Media in 2013 after spending 9 years at the Missouri School of Journalism, where I co-founded and co-directed the PRIME Lab and taught in the School’s Strategic Communication sequence. Research and Creative Endeavor My research explores the psychology underlying interactive media use. […]
John Wirtz
Associate Professor of Advertising Education Affiliations Course Specialties Background Wirtz received a Ph.D. in mass communication in 2009 from the University of Minnesota. His studies there focused on how theories of human behavior (primarily grounded in psychology) can help us better understand how exposure to mass media content influences our thoughts and behavior. After completing […]
Patrick Vargas
Professor of Advertising Education Affiliations Course Specialties Background Vargas double-majored in philosophy and psychology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and went on to pursue graduate studies in social psychology (with a minor in quantitative psychology) at The Ohio State University. While at OSU, he worked most closely with professors Bill von Hippel, Rich Petty […]
Harsh Taneja
Associate Professor of New and Emerging Media Education Affiliations Course Specialties Background Harsh Taneja is interested in how people consume media. He teaches and researches about media audiences, an area that is relevant to all media majors and beyond, regardless of whether they want to pursue advertising, journalism or media studies. His teaching draws on […]
Leona Yi-Fan Su
Associate Professor of Advertising Education Course Specialties * made the List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students Background Dr. Su is a faculty affiliate at the Institute of Communications Research, the Center for Digital Agriculture (CDA), and the Informatics Programs. She is on the editorial board of Environmental Communication and has served as a reviewer for […]