Comm Horizons @ UCD 2026: Communication in the Age of AI and Algorithms

Comm Horizons @UCD 2026

Communication in the Age of AI and Algorithms

UC Davis May 15 - 17, 2026

Artificial intelligence and algorithms increasingly shape how people connect, inform themselves, create, and engage with media. This year’s conference explores how AI and algorithmic systems mediate human relationships, influence media use, and enable new forms of communication, bringing together diverse perspectives to understand and guide communication in a rapidly evolving digital society.

Registration

Registration closed on April 5, 2026. Registration fees are as follows:

• UC Davis Affiliates: Free
• Non-UC Davis Student/Post-Doc: $75
• Non-UC Davis Faculty/Industry: $150
• Napa Wine Tasting Supplement: $110 

Schedule at a Glance

Detailed presentation and poster schedules are posted, below.

Friday May 15, 2026

Student Community Center: Multipurpose Room

• 4:00pm: Coffee and Refreshments
• 4:30pm: Welcome - Dr. Bo Feng, Department Chair
• 4:35pm: Welcome - Dr. Kathryn Olmsted, Associate Dean of the Faculty, College of Letters and Science
• 4:40pm: Introduction - Dr. Jorge Peña
• 4:45pm: Mohrmann Lecture - Dr. Jeff Hancock, Stanford
• 6:00pm: Poster Session A and Reception
• 7:00pm: Catered Dinner

Saturday May 16, 2026

Student Community Center: Multipurpose Room, Meeting Rooms D & E

• 7:00am: Catered Breakfast
• 8:00am: Panels 1a, 1b, 1c
• 9:00am: Break
• 9:15am: Panels 2a, 2b, 2c
• 10:15am: Break
• 10:30am: Panels 3a, 3b, 3c
• 11:30am: Catered Lunch
• 12:30pm: Panels 4a, 4b, and 4c
• 1:30pm: Break
• 1:45pm: Panels 5a, 5b, 5c
• 2:45pm: Break
• 3:00pm: Poster Session B and Refreshments
• 4:15pm: Break
• 4:30pm: Introduction - Dr. Soojong Kim
• 4:35pm: Keynote - Dr. Angel Hsing-Chi Hwang, University of Southern California
• 5:45pm: Closing Remarks - Dr. Richard Huskey
• 6:15pm Bus Pickup, UC Davis Parking Lot 10
• 6:30pm: No-Host Reception: Sudwerk Brewing (paid individually; transportation provided)

Sunday May 17, 2026

Cap off the conference with a memorable day in Napa Valley. We’ll begin at the lively Oxbow Public Market for lunch before strolling through downtown Napa’s riverfront district. Then we’ll travel along the famed Silverado Trail to Stag’s Leap Winery for a guided tasting at one of the region’s most celebrated estates. Enjoy an afternoon of great wine, beautiful scenery, and relaxed conversation with fellow scholars before returning to Davis in time for evening flight departures. This optional wine tasting requires an extra fee: $110 + lunch (paid individually); transportation included.

• 9:15am: Bus Pickup, UC Davis Parking Lot 10
• 9:30am: Depart for Napa
• 10:30am: Arrive at Oxbow Public Market
• 12:45pm: Depart for Stag's Leap Winery
• 1:00pm: Arrive at Stag's Leap Winery
• 3:00pm: Depart for Davis
• 4:30pm: Arrive, UC Davis Parking Lot 10

Travel Information

Airports

• Sacramento International Airport (SMF): 20 Miles from campus
• Oakland International Airport (OAK): 75 Miles from campus (we strongly advise against this option)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO): 80 Miles from campus (we strongly advise against this option)

Airport Transportation

There is no direct public transit from SMF, OAK, or SFO to Davis. We recommend traveling by car (e.g., rental, rideshare). Depending on time of day, SMF is typically a 20-30-minute trip by car to Davis; SFO and OAK can take between 2-3 hours by car. The UC Davis Global Affairs Office provides more detail on getting to/from the Airport.

Hotels 

SOLD OUT: We have secured a room block at the Aggie Inn. All rooms in the block must be booked using the conference specific booking link. The nightly rate is $203 + tax/fees (single queen + sofa bed), $213 + tax/fees (double queen) or $213 + tax/fees (single king + sofa bed). Hotel rooms must be booked by April 17, 2026. 

SOLD OUT: We have secured a hotel block at the Best Western Palm Court. All rooms in the block must be booked using the conference specific booking link. The nightly rate is $209 + taxes/fees (Sofabed | Suite-1 Queen Bed) or $219 + taxes/fees (Sofabed | Suite-1 King Bed).

If you are still looking for a hotel, the room blocks are now SOLD OUT. There are plenty of hotels in Davis; Hyatt Place at UC Davis and the Hilton Garden Inn Davis Downtown are both comfortable and well-located.

Parking

The closest parking lots are Visitor Lot 40 (Google Maps Directions to Lot 40) and the Pavilion Structure (Google Maps Directions to Pavilion Structure). Payment is required on Friday. You must download and use the Aggie Park App to pay for parking ($17.00). Parking is free on Saturday. 

Reception & Napa Transportation

We will provide transportation for Saturday's no-host reception at Sudwerk Brewing and Sunday's Napa excursion. All transit will depart and arrive at UC Davis Parking Lot 10. For Saturday's reception, buses will return every hour, on the hour, until 9:00pm. Sunday's return is scheduled for 4:30pm to accommodate evening flights. 

Keynote Speakers

Mohrmann Lecture: Dr. Jeff Hancock (Stanford)

Title: Rethinking the Feed: AI, Agency, and the New Politics of Social Media

Abstract: As governments around the world move to restrict youth access to social media, a parallel transformation is underway: artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape how social media itself works. This talk presents early insights from the evaluation of Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age policy, including new data from the first two assessment waves, alongside a broader framework for understanding what age-based restrictions can—and cannot—achieve. In contrast, I'll discuss our project on AI-driven feed re-ranking to show how large language models can give users greater agency over what they see, pointing to a path that focuses on redesign rather than restriction. Together, these approaches represent two distinct strategies for addressing the same core problem: how to improve well-being, agency and trust in digital environments. I argue that the future of social media will depend on how we balance policy interventions with AI-enabled design, and how we prioritize limiting access to vulnerable populations while expanding human agency.

Bio: Jeff Hancock is the founding director of the Stanford Social Media Lab and is Harry and Norman Chandler Professor of Communication at Stanford University. Professor Hancock and his group work on understanding psychological and interpersonal processes in social media. The team specializes in using computational linguistics and experiments to understand how the words we use can reveal psychological and social dynamics, such as deception and trust, emotional dynamics, intimacy and relationships, and social support. Recently Professor Hancock has begun work on understanding the mental models people have about algorithms in social media, as well as working on the ethical issues associated with computational social science.

Communication Horizons Keynote: Dr. Angel Hsing-Chi Hwang (University of Southern California)

Title: Understanding the Societal Impact of AI Companionship: Empirical Insights, Emerging Challenges, and Policy Implications

Abstract: Seeking emotional and social support has become one of the most common uses of AI systems. As conversational agents increasingly function as companions, understanding their long-term psychological and social impacts has become an important research and policy challenge. This talk presents findings from longitudinal studies examining how human–AI companionship develops over time. Comparing active AI companion users with non-users reveals distinct patterns. Active users show a spillover effect: perceptions formed with their own AI companions carry over to new AI agents encountered in empirical studies, and these impressions increasingly converge with their views of their personal companions over time. In contrast, non-users often begin with positive impressions of a new AI agent, but these perceptions decline as the novelty effect fades. Building on these findings, the talk discusses responsible approaches to studying AI companionship, including designing longitudinal studies and experimental testbeds with safeguards in place. It also examines emerging policy questions: whether AI companions should be regulated as clinical applications, consumer products, or a hybrid category, and what “clinical-trial-like” evaluation frameworks might look like for assessing their societal impacts. Together, these perspectives highlight the need for empirical evidence to guide the responsible design and governance of AI companions as they become embedded in everyday social life.

Bio: Angel Hwang (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at USC Annenberg and a human-AI interaction (HAII) researcher. Her research explores the societal impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on work practices in various applied domains, such as small-group teamwork, content production, and mental healthcare services. Her work also aims to provide implications for practitioners to design, build, and apply AI-powered technologies for better work futures. Prior to joining USC, Hwang received her PhD in communication at Cornell University with a concentration in human-computer interaction and conducted her postdoctoral training at Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science. Outside of academia, she also has rich experience researching state-of-the-art AI at several world-class research sectors in the tech industry, including Microsoft Research, Google Research, Sony AI, Adobe, and Accenture Labs.

Supported By

Support for the conference is generously provided by Moveris and the Department of Communication at UC Davis.

Panel Agenda

Each presentation is 8 minutes in duration. Rooms will have a projector with HDMI and audio. Please bring any necessary adapters for your device, and let us know if you need anything additional.

Panels 1a, 1b, and 1c: May 16, 8:00am - 9:00am

Panels 2a, 2b, and 2c: May 16, 9:15am - 10:15am

Panels 3a, 3b, and 3c: May 16, 10:30am - 11:30am

Panels 4a, 4b, and 4c: May 16, 12:30pm - 1:30pm

Panels 5a, 5b, and 5c: May 16, 1:45pm - 2:45pm

Poster Agenda

Poster boards are 32" x 40". Either vertical or horizontal orientation is fine. Posters should be smaller than this size to fit comfortably. We will provide pushpins to hang posters.

Contact

For inquiries, please email the Conference Organizers (Richard Huskey; Jorge Peña; Soojong Kim) at [email protected].

Conference Organizers

This conference is organized by Drs. Richard Huskey, Jorge Peña, and Soojong Kim.