February 25, 2026
Awards
Professor danah boyd was selected as a Sloan Research Fellow by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, an honor recognizing the most promising early-career scholars in the United States and Canada. Awarded annually to researchers demonstrating exceptional creativity, achievement, and potential for leadership in their fields, the fellowship provides $75,000 in flexible funding over a two-year term to support innovative research.
Events
Join us for COMMColloquium Monday, March 2, 2026, 3:00 pm, in 102 Mann Library Building. Professor Connie Yuan will present “Understanding the Impact of Culture.” The colloquium is followed by a reception located in The Hub of the Department of Communication.
Grants
Graduate student Rosie Nguyen received a $2,000 Cornell Graduate School research travel grant for a project examining how Vietnamese book authors navigate creative labor at the intersection of platform capitalism, state control, and post-Confucian sociocultural norms. The grant will support her archival research on state control and literary movements, as well as participant observation and interviews with book authors in Hanoi during the summer of 2026.
Lectures
Professor Jeff Niederdeppe presented his talk, “Rigorous and Repeatedly Replicated Communication Science to Challenge Conventional Wisdom,” as part of the Communication and Media Department’s Seminar Series at City University of Hong Kong on January 26 and the Brown Bag Series for the Department of Communication at the University at Buffalo on February 7. Drawing on five randomized message-testing experiments spanning six topics and more than 40,000 respondents, he highlighted the value of repeated conceptual replications in strengthening knowledge claims and challenging assumptions about messaging on controversial issues. Using diversity, equity, and inclusion messaging in the United States as a case study, he demonstrated that communication about racial inequality is not inherently divisive when grounded in theory- and evidence-based strategies, and he discussed broader implications for communication and social science research.
Media Coverage
Research Associate Bailey Flynn was quoted in the Roll Call article, “After Stalled Health Deal, Voters Want Congress to Deliver.” The piece examines health care affordability as a leading issue ahead of the midterm elections and explores how debates over expired Affordable Care Act premium tax credits have shaped public perceptions of cost. Bailey discussed how concerns about health care expenses have become more immediate and personal for many individuals, potentially influencing civic engagement and voter behavior.
Professor Bruce Lewenstein was quoted in the Sunday Times of London article, “The Epstein Bomb Has Detonated. Who’s Been Caught in Its Blast?” The piece examines the wide-ranging fallout following the release of millions of Jeffrey Epstein–related files and explores the impact on business leaders, politicians, academics, and cultural figures worldwide. In the article, Bruce provided insight into the financial and structural pressures within higher education that can incentivize universities to cultivate relationships with private donors, offering context for the broader academic implications of the controversy.
Professor Jeff Niederdeppe’s co-authored paper, “The Impact of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising on Outpatient Care Utilization,” was cited in the New York Times article “Should Drug Companies Be Advertising to Consumers?” The article examined the growing debate over direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising and referenced the study’s findings that such advertising can influence patient behavior, including increases in outpatient visits and follow-up care.
