COMM Updates - 3/25/2026

Samantha Johnstone is a senior double-majoring in Communication and Environment & Sustainability. She is passionate about the intersection of public relations and advocacy work and has worked in communications at several environmental nonprofits, including Moms Clean Air Force, The Nature Conservancy, and Citizens Climate Lobby. Within the Department of Communication, she is completing a senior honors thesis based on two national-level public opinion surveys that investigated who the public blames for the inequitable distribution of pollution across the country and the impact of language in question formation.

The Kenneth John Bissett Award recognizes juniors or seniors who have taken a visual, design, or writing course in the Department of Communication. This award commemorates Ken Bissett ‘90, a gifted artist and student remembered for his creativity, intellectual curiosity, and thoughtful spirit. This year, we honored two students.

Caroline Michailoff is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Communication with a minor in Business. She works as a student assistant for the Department of Communication and has served as a learning assistant for two communication courses: Communication and Technology (COMM 2450) and Navigating the Communication Major (COMM 1111). On campus, Caroline is a Tradition Fellow, a Senior Writer for The Cornell Daily Sun, and a member of Forté Campus at Cornell. She is a previous recipient of the Sheila Turner Seed Memorial Prize, as well as a Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar. After graduation, Caroline plans to pursue a career in strategic communications.

Ava Malkin is completing her degree in Communication in three years, with minors in Law and Society, Spanish, and Information Science. Her academic work—thesis research and roles as a research and learning assistant—focuses on the intersection of technology, law, human rights, and speech. She serves as the editor-in-chief of legal and mental wellness publications, where she promotes dialogue on law and psychological resilience. A volunteer in veterans’ rights, advocate for invisible disorders, children’s book author, international conference presenter, academic scholarship recipient, and dancer, Ava is committed to expanding respectful, open communication and access to justice. After graduation, she plans to attend law school.

The Chester Freeman Award recognizes Communication juniors who best exhibit the interdisciplinary character of the Department’s program and who best reflect the spirit of Chet Freeman’s contributions to the department and the Cornell community.

Caroline Park is a junior Communication major with minors in Leadership, Psychology, and Media Studies. Within the Department of Communication, she is a researcher in the Group and Interpersonal Communication Research Lab, a member of the Communication Student Advisory Board, and learning assistant for Advanced Media Writing (COMM 3050) last fall. On campus, she is the President of Big Red Ambassadors, Executive Vice President of the Panhellenic Council, Recruitment Coordinator for CALS Ambassadors, Meinig Scholar, and athlete on the Figure Skating Club Competition Team. In her free time, Caroline enjoys running half marathons, making sunset collages, and taking Barry’s Bootcamp classes.

The Anson H. Rowe Award recognizes one senior and one junior majoring in Communication based on overall scholastic achievement, demonstrated proficiency and breadth of experience in interpersonal communication, public speaking, and/or radio and television, as well as financial need.

Emma Alexander is a senior studying Communication and minoring in Creative Writing and Environment & Sustainability. She is an active member of the Cornell University Chorus, After Eight A Capella, and Ballet & Books. Emma is also actively involved in the film community at Cornell, having written and directed her own projects and produced the work of others. Post-graduation, Emma will be attending graduate school to continue studying film and television production.

Richard Ballard is a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences pursuing a double major in Communication and Information Science. He is a member of the Citizens and Technology Lab in the Department of Communication. His research experience includes work in technology policy, algorithmic accountability, digital well-being, and platform governance. Outside of the department, he is a member of an engineering student project team, writes for The Cornell Daily Sun, and conducts interdisciplinary research within the Bowers College of Computing and Information Science.

The Schwartz Award recognizes students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who best demonstrate excellence in agricultural journalism.

Dalton Mullins is a junior studying Communication in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He is from Fayette County, Ohio, where he lives on his family’s 200-year-old farm. Dalton is passionate about agricultural journalism and agricultural communication. After graduation, he plans to continue advocating for agriculture by attending law school and pursuing a career as an agricultural attorney.

The Sheila Turner Seed Award recognizes junior women or nonbinary femme-aligned Communication majors demonstrating academic performance and excellence in courses within the major. The award commemorates Sheila Turner Seed, a dynamic young writer and photojournalist with Scholastic, Inc.

Carina Lau is a junior pursuing a double major in Communication and Information Science with a minor in Business. She is from Long Island, NY, and enjoys watching and analyzing sports, solving puzzles, and listening to music in her free time. She is actively involved on campus, serving as a learning assistant for various courses in communication and data science, a peer mentor, and a member of numerous student organizations. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career that combines her interests in tech, data, and communication.

Awards: Faculty

Professor danah boyd was selected as a winner of the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award from Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. She was recognized for her forthcoming book, Data Are Made, Not Found: A Story of Politics, Power, and the Civil Servants Who Saved the U.S. Census, which examines the 2020 census and the political, logistical, and social challenges involved in producing data that underpins American democracy.

Events

Join us for COMMColloquium Monday, April 6, 2026, 3:00 pm, in 102 Mann Library Building with Assistant Professor Monica Cornejo (title TBD). The colloquium is followed by a reception located in The Hub of the Department of Communication.

Publications

Undergraduate student Aaradhyaa Gyawali, March 2026, “Nepal’s Gen Z Used TikTok and Discord to Win a Historic Election,” Tech Policy Press.

Aaradhyaa, an Information Science major who has taken multiple courses within the Department of Communication, examines how platforms like TikTok and Discord played a pivotal role in both Nepal’s political unrest and its recent election, highlighting the growing influence of digital media in youth-driven political movements.

Undergraduate student Ava Malkin, March 2026, “When Conversations with AI Become Evidence,” Tech Policy Press.

Ava, a communication major with an interest in law, explores how interactions with artificial intelligence are increasingly being introduced as evidence in court, raising important questions about reliability, interpretation, and the legal implications of emerging technologies.

Picture Time!

Graduate student Amanda Vilchez organized the First Collaborative Workshop between scientists and farmers to co-study the traditional use of vampire bat guano for maize production. This event counted on the participation of twelve farmers from the communities of Urubamba and Huaro in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, as well as scientists from the National University of San Antonio Abad of Cusco and the National Agrarian University La Molina.

Communication faculty and graduate students at Professors Lee Humphreys and Jeff Niederdeppe’s house for our annual prospective doctoral student dinner.