USF Department of Communication

06/03/2026

Congratulations to graduate student colleague Imran Alimov, who recently passed his MA comprehensive exams!

06/01/2026

Congratulations to graduate student colleague Monira Begum, who received a Top Student Paper Award from the Health Communication Division at the 2026 Southern States Communication Association Convention for her paper, "The Quality-Reach Paradox: How Digital Platform Algorithms Shape Cardio-Health Information Access for the Elderly People."

05/29/2026

We'd like to feature the work of one of our undergraduate seniors, Julia Pollard! For her Capstone project, she created Planting Tampa Bay, a community outreach project focused on promoting native wildflowers, pollinator support, and local environmental awareness in the Tampa Bay area through the distribution of native wildflower seed packets and short informational flyers. The Capstone course is a process-based learning experience taken by all Communication students as part of our program, where projects are developed through structured support of the course.
Planting Tampa Bay connects to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #15, Life on Land, by encouraging people to support biodiversity and protect local ecosystems through small, realistic actions.
As part of the project, Julia raised over $270 to purchase the wildflower seeds and packet materials. The packets gave participants an easy way to plant flowers in their area and learn how they support local pollinators. Speaking on her work, Julia noted that "overall, Planting Tampa Bay showed that helping the environment does not always have to involve a huge event or major commitment. Sometimes, it can start with something as simple as planting seeds and understanding why they matter."
After graduation, Julia hopes to continue her work in the event planning field, and to eventually work for major beauty brands like Sephora and Ulta. She recently began a full time position at New Wave, a nonprofit event planning company, while also working part time at Chili's. Elaborating on her current positions, Julia stated "Both roles have helped me build strong communication, customer service, and planning skills. I’m excited to keep gaining hands on experience and build a career in an industry that I’m passionate about."
To view Planting Tampa Bay project photos, visit here. https://www.canva.com/design/DAHI4Gusyac/JyFRgHBGXUqEdP8lvsFrvw/edit

05/28/2026

Congratulations to gradute student colleague Bianca Siegenthaler! Her co-authored article, “From isolation to connection: Reflections on peer networks and research resilience from the 2025 rEACH Summer School,” was published in Patient Education & Counseling! She and her team of international health communication scholars were invited to publish the paper as part of their experiences as fellows in the rEACH Summer School program. Read the article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738399126002016?via%3Dihub

05/28/2026

Congratulations to faculty colleagues Drs. Marleah Dean Kruzel, Patrick McElearney, and Josh Scacco! Dr. Patrick McElearney has been promoted to associate professor of instruction, and Dr. Dean Kruzel and Scacco have been promoted to full professor rank!

05/26/2026

Congratulations to undergraduate student Alyssa Fraser on being featured in the most recent edition of CAS Chronicles! Check out her article for more on what our Mellon internship students have been up to!

University of South Florida

05/26/2026

Sirrina Martinez is a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Communication at the University of South Florida. Her research is at an intersection of organizational and health communication, focusing on military organizations and the Department of Veterans Affairs. She is currently working as a research health technician with I-Heal. Sirrina has been serving in the Minnesota Army National Guard for over 22 years, bringing firsthand knowledge about military/veteran experiences and communities.

05/22/2026

We'd like to feature the work of graduating senior and Communication major Isabella Santos! Isabella, a long-term substitute teacher, developed The Next Chapter Project for her Capstone project. The Capstone course is taken by all Communication students as part of our program, where projects are developed through structured support as part of a process-based learning experience. Drawing directly from her classroom experience, Isabella designed a research-driven literacy toolkit that addresses the real decline in reading engagement among middle school students. She piloted the toolkit with practicing educators, incorporated their feedback into revisions, and generated immediate interest for classroom use with a visually compelling and student-centered guide. After graduation, Isabella hopes to continue her work in education while pursuing her passion for literacy, creativity, and community building. "I'd love to one day create a space where those interests converge," Isabella noted, "bringing people together around books, art, and storytelling." View The Next Chapter Project Toolkit here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v711pbs-SBE8RSy-3kBYMup0VuqjoNZj/view

05/21/2026

Congratulations to faculty colleague Dr. Madison Pollino! She received the USF Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in recognition of her commitment to undergraduate student success. Learn more about the awards here: https://www.usf.edu/provost/faculty-success/professional-development/awardess-fhar-2025-26.aspx

05/21/2026

Congratulations to graduate student colleagues Jonathan Vargas and Zane Austin Willard! Their review of "Flyover Fictions: Polarization in U.S.-American Culture, Media, and Politics," was published in Critical Studies in Media Communication! Read the review here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15295036.2025.2586050