Exterior photo of the side entrance and tower of Stauffer-Flint Hall; photo is tinted blue

Our Journalism & Mass Communications Experts

Our professors are top researchers in a wide range of journalism and communications areas and are available for collaboration, commentary or interviews. Choose a topic below for a list of our experts and their research specialities.


Research Groups

Faculty and students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications work through research groups focused on specific issues related to communication and information, contributing to advancing scholarship and research-informed practical and policy recommendations. Please contact the group leader if you are interested in joining a group.

EmTech & Public Interest Tech Group

This research group focuses on understanding roles of digital and emerging technologies in helping address societal problems at local, national and international levels. In close collaborations with community partners, we design and conduct empirical research in the areas of digital divide/equity/inclusion, online misinformation, and digital civic engagement.

If you are interested in joining the EmTech & Public Interest Tech Group, contact Professor Hyunjin Seo.

Faculty members

  • Hyunjin Seo (co-lead, professor), Tamar Wilner (co-lead, professor)

Student Members

  • Ph.D.: Macy Burkett, Michaella Barros, Rim Chaif, Azhar Iqbal, Nazra Izhar, Blessing Jona and Hannah Ha

  • MSJ: Hana Khan and Olga Morales

  • Undergraduate: Taylor Doyle


Science/Environmental Comms Group

We focus on the broad topic of science/environmental communication. We use different methods including computational, survey, content analysis, experiment, in-depth interview, and textual analysis. Current projects include (1) fact-checking on climate change from four countries; (2) media use and green consumption and policy support on plastic waste; (3) computational approach on online content on climate change across the world; and (4) exploring content elements in strategic messages by environmental NGOs.

If you are interested in joining the Science/Environmental Comms Group, contact Associate Professor Hong Vu.

Faculty Members

  • Hong Vu (lead, associate professor), Ever Figueroa (assistant professor), Jeff Conlin (assistant professor), Vaibhav Diwanji (assistant professor)

Student Members

  • Ph.D.: Muhammad Ittefaq, Annalise Baines, Mauryne Abwao, Nhung Nguyen, Pamela Peters, Ayman Alhammad

  • Master's: Manzur Maswood


Experimental Research Group (ERG)

The ERG aims to promote and facilitate experimental research in media. We welcome any experimental approaches, from laboratory studies to online experiments, to field experiments. Group members can take advantage of a dedicated research facility – the Experimental Research Media Laboratory (Dole 2001C), equipped with psychophysiology data acquisition, reaction time, facial emotion recognition, dial studies, and eye tracking equipment. The group is open to all faculty, undergraduate and graduate students interested in experimental research, and it is supported by the Center for Excellence in Health Communication to Underserved Populations and its national and international research partnerships.

If you are interested in joining the Experimental Research Group, contact Professor Mugur Geana.

Faculty Members

  • Mugur Geana (lead, professor), Alyssa Appelman (associate professor), Vaibhav Diwanji (assistant professor), Judy Watts (assistant professor)

Student Members

  • Ph.D.: Nazra Izhar, Jun Pei, Alfredo Urbina Carreño

  • Undergraduate: Alyssa Cangelose, Thomas Wiley


Immersion, Computation, and Expression (ICE) Group

Our research group undertakes mixed-methods-based and interdisciplinary research projects focused on advertising and public relations that examine consumer behavior through emerging technologies such as generative-AI, virtual reality, and digital games. The group is committed to addressing and promoting diversity and inclusion in the journalism and mass communications research and practice. 

If you are interested in joining the ICE group, contact Assistant Professor Vaibhav Diwanji.

Faculty Member

  • Vaibhav Diwanji (lead, assistant professor)

Student Members

  • Annalise Marie Bragalone, Finn Bauer, Kaitlin Clark


Media Representation Research Group

We utilize various qualitative, quantitative and critical approaches to analyze the construction and dissemination of identities through all forms of mass media.

If you are interested in joining the Media Representation Research Group, contact assistant professor Steve Bien-Aimé. 

Faculty Members

  • Steve Bien-Aimé (lead, assistant professor)


Persuasion Group

Persuasion Group: Collectively, this research group examines how individuals process, respond to, and are influenced by media messages to alter attitudes and behaviors. We have an emphasis on theory-driven research using experimental methods.

Faculty Members

  • Judy Watts (lead, assistant professor)

  • Jeff Conlin (assistant professor)

  • Vaibhav Diwanji (assistant professor)


Computational Health and Risk Communication Group

This group will delve into multimodal data (i.e., text, image, audio, video) on health and risk topics—broadly defined—with a special focus on vulnerable communities. We will combine computational methods (e.g., natural language processing, computer vision, multimodal LLM) with other methodological approaches, and prior programming experience is not required. Group members of diverse methodological backgrounds are equally welcome. 

If you are interested in joining the Computational Health and Risk Communication Group, please contact assistant professor Yunwen Wang

Faculty Members

  • Yunwen Wang (lead, assistant professor)


Grant Writing Learning Circle

This hands-on learning circle will provide opportunities for faculty to receive tailored feedback and resources regarding their grant writing projects. Contact Professor Hyunjin Seo for more information.

Faculty Members

  • Hyunjin Seo (lead, professor)


Latest research news from KU Journalism and Mass Communications



Patrica Weems Gaston credentials
Lacy C. Haynes Professor Patricia (Weems) Gaston served as a 2024 Pulitzer Prize juror. The Pulitzer Prize is regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievement, and musical composition.
Sydney Clark on set in front of a camera

University of Kansas students received two first-place awards, four second-place awards and five honorable mentions in the College Visual portion of the 2024 Kansas Association of Broadcast Student Awards. ...

Stauffer-Flint Hall aerial shot.
Thirty faculty and graduate students from the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications are presenting their research studies, teaching best practices, and creative projects at the 107th annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.