Research

Grady Research

Research at Grady College

Pursuing effective messages and stories that have a broad impact.

Faculty and graduate students at Grady College are recognized for their innovative research, critical thinking and thought leadership. From global communication studies and press freedom, to communicating with virtual reality, eye tracking and social media listening, we are leaders in pursuing effective messages and stories that have a broad impact. 

A few of our areas of specialty include:

Crisis communications — led by Dr. Yan Jin who also directs the Crisis Communication Think Tank.

Health & risk communications — led by Dr. Glen Nowak, one of the leading experts on communcations about vaccination acceptance. 

Message testing — featuring our Psychophysiology Suite, which includes eye-tracking equipment, as well as measures for heart and brain response for visual and audio stimulus.

Social media analytics and emerging technologies — featuring our SEE Suite, a social media listening and analytics lab dedicated to studying the messages people are talking about online.

Virtual reality and augmented reality — led by Dr. Grace Ahn, who is directing a $3.3 million grant project right now testing the effectiveness of virtual reality in rewarding children for meeting physical fitness goals.

We invite you to review our areas of expertise and see how we can collaborate on your next project. 

Research Articles

Nobody Want to Be Here, Nobody Wants to Leave
Produced by Nate Kohn, Caleb Samples, Cash Robinson and Feike Santbergen, directed by UGA low residency MFA student Cash Robinson and written by MFA graduate Caleb Samples, “Nobody Want to […]
Read More Read more about Nobody Want to Be Here, Nobody Wants to Leave
Spotlight on Turkey
Carolina Acosta-Alzuru presented on“Spotlight on Turkey” at C21 Content Americas, the largest TV content market focusing on the Americas. Miami, January 25, 2024 Abstract: The presentation focused on three main questions. […]
Read More Read more about Spotlight on Turkey
Talking with AI about Mental Health: The Role of Perceived Message Contingency and Outcome Relevant Involvement
Kim, H. (Grady alumni), Zhang, W., Han, J. Y., Seo, J. K., Yoon, H. J., & Yeon, J. “Talking with AI about Mental Health: The Role of Perceived Message Contingency and […]
Read More Read more about Talking with AI about Mental Health: The Role of Perceived Message Contingency and Outcome Relevant Involvement
Satire and perceived trustworthiness in communicating about renewable energy
Yeo, S. K., Freiling, I., Jiyoung Yeon (Ph.D. student), Zhang, J. S., McKasy, M., Michael A. Cacciatore, Su, L. Y.-F., & Siskind, S. “Satire and perceived trustworthiness in communicating about renewable energy” paper […]
Read More Read more about Satire and perceived trustworthiness in communicating about renewable energy
Deepfaking Science with Well-known Faces: Exploring the Influence of Populist Attitudes on Evaluations of Science Deepfakes Video with Celebrities
Jiyoung Yeon (PhD student), Bart Wojdynski, Park, S., & Ebba, H. K. “Deepfaking Science with Well-known Faces: Exploring the Influence of Populist Attitudes on Evaluations of Science Deepfakes Video with Celebrities,” paper […]
Read More Read more about Deepfaking Science with Well-known Faces: Exploring the Influence of Populist Attitudes on Evaluations of Science Deepfakes Video with Celebrities
Employee Activism for Social Change: A Challenge or an Opportunity for Strategic Communication?
Silvia Ravazzani, Yan Jin, Sara Conti, Anna Rachwalski (undergraduate student), Sonny Glenn Robinson (undergraduate student), Alessandra Mazzei, and Bryan Reber. “Employee Activism for Social Change: A Challenge or an Opportunity for Strategic Communication?”. […]
Read More Read more about Employee Activism for Social Change: A Challenge or an Opportunity for Strategic Communication?
Attendee, bystander, crowd member? How photojournalists provide or prevent identity construction through naming conventions in news photo captions
Kyser Lough, “Attendee, bystander, crowd member? How photojournalists provide or prevent identity construction through naming conventions in news photo captions,” Extended abstract accepted for presentation at the AEJMC Southeast Colloquium, […]
Read More Read more about Attendee, bystander, crowd member? How photojournalists provide or prevent identity construction through naming conventions in news photo captions
Institutional Effects of Adding Football: A Difference-in-Difference Analysis
Welch Suggs, Monday, A.*, Hearn, J. & May-Trifiletti, J.* (2024). “Institutional Effects of Adding Football: A Difference-in-Difference Analysis.” Research in Higher Education. Accepted for publication. Abstract: Football teams draw the […]
Read More Read more about Institutional Effects of Adding Football: A Difference-in-Difference Analysis
In twitter we trust (ed): How perceptions of Twitter’s helpfulness influence news post credibility perceptions and news engagement
Millet, B., Tang, J., Seelig, M., Petit, J., & Ruoyu Sun (2024). In twitter we trust (ed): How perceptions of Twitter’s helpfulness influence news post credibility perceptions and news engagement. Computers […]
Read More Read more about In twitter we trust (ed): How perceptions of Twitter’s helpfulness influence news post credibility perceptions and news engagement

Grady Research Radio Podcast

Grady Research Radio highlights the research and expertise coming out of Grady College, advancing knowledge, innovation and creation in the fields of journalism, advertising, public relations, and entertainment and media studies. It is produced and hosted by Jackson Schroeder, public relations specialist at Grady College.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher.

The Latest

Read the newest headlines, get updates and discover events happening at Grady.

Esther Kim holds her trophy up as she crosses the stage.

Esther Kim named PRWeek Outstanding Student of the Year

Esther Kim, a fourth-year public relations major, was named Outstanding Student in the nation by PRWeek, one of the industry’s leading trade publications. Kim was named Outstanding Student at the […]

A graphic with headshots and nameplates for every winner.

EMST faculty member and 8 students win 2024 BEA Awards

Works created by Matthew Nolte Evans, an assistant professor in Entertainment and Media Studies (EMST), and eight EMST students earned high recognition at the 2024 Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Festival […]

NMI students and staff walk through Universal Islands of Adventure.

Behind the scenes opportunity

New Media Institute students get an inside look at Disney, Universal Orlando While standing in line at a theme park in Orlando, Florida, visitors don’t get bored. The line itself is […]

Johnny Klein's headshot

Profiles of Tenacity: Johnny Klein

Integrated AdPR graduate student Johnny Klein found community in Grady through involvement in organizations and immersing himself in AdPR’s culture. He encourages other students to try different activities and enjoy […]

Carolina Acosta Alzuru stands on the Schnitzer Family Media Lawn outside of Grady College.

Carolina Acosta-Alzuru receives 2024-25 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru, a professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, has received a Fulbright Distinguished […]

Ed Grisamore headshot with headline text: Alumni Award Honoree and Fellowship Inudutee

Fellowship Profile: Ed Grisamore (ABJ ’78)

Congratulations to Ed Grisamore (ABJ ’78) on being named the 2024 John Holliman Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and a Fellowship inductee. Named after the late John Holliman, Grady alumnus […]

Perspectives

“My favorite memory as a Ph.D. student was working as a senior researcher at Grady College’s Digital Media Attention and Cognition (DMAC) Lab. The team would pitch study ideas and work collaboratively to bring those projects to fruition. It was honestly so cool to conduct eye-tracking studies, meet over Jittery Joe’s coffee, and then apply our individual strengths to share our work with others in the field.”

Camila Young

Ph.D. ’20, Social Research Scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Perspectives

“It’s exciting to see our student journalists wanting to engage with larger questions about the future of the industry and journalism’s role in society. CURO is a great way to support these emerging scholars as they take their first steps into research.”

Karin Assmann

Assistant Professor, Journalism