Associate Professor of Teaching Heather J. Hether has been selected to receive the 2026 College of Letters and Science Award for Distinguished Teaching. This award recognizes outstanding teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, inside and outside the classroom. The selection committee reported being deeply impressed by Professor Hether’s excellent teaching and her dedication to educating students in the College. This year, Dr.
The Department of Communciation hosted the third annual CommHorizons conference during the month of May, hosting researchers from around the world for three days of shared scholarship. This year’s conference theme, “Communication in the Age of AI and Algorithms” proved particularly engaging, as over 100 posters and talks were presented. Scholars focused on two major themes: the use of artificial intelligence tools in the conduct of communication research, and the uses and effects of communication with artificial intelligence systems.
The Department of Communication has named Maya Kornyeyeva as the first recipient of the Scholar-Citizen Award, recognizing her combination of scholarly achievement and extensive community service.
In naming Maya the honoree, the award committee made particular note of Maya’s long-time work with the California Aggie, UC Davis’s student newspaper. Maya worked on the newspaper staff for her entire time at UC Davis, demonstrating a sustained commitment to the newspaper and to the UC Davis community as a whole. She served in many roles, including as the opinion editor.
This June, the UC Davis Department of Communication will take a leading role at the 76th Annual International Communication Association Conference, held June 4–8, 2026, in Cape Town, South Africa. With 40 accepted presentations and two Top Paper awards, UC Davis arrives at ICA26 as one of the most visible and influential programs in the field.
UC Davis Alumnus Receives Early Career Award from PHEHP
Dr. CJ Calabrese, an alumnus of the doctoral program in the Department of Communication at UC Davis, has received the Early Career Award from the Public Health Education and Health Promotion section of the American Public Health Association. The award recognizes scholars who make an outstanding contribution to public health through their research and leadership in the first ten years after receiving their doctorate. Dr.
Position overviewSalary range: "Off-scale salaries" and other components of pay, i.e. a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions, qualifications, and experience. A reasonable estimated salary range for this position is $109,500 - $128,200, inclusive of the salary scale and off-scale salary components.Review timeline: Review will begin October 15, 2025Application Window
The Department of Communication at UC Davis is proud to announce the publication of a new special issue of the Journal of Media Psychology titled Information Integrity in a Digital Age. The issue was co-edited by UC Davis faculty members Drs.
The UC Davis Department of Communication will make a strong showing at the National Communication Association’s 111th Annual Convention, held November 20–23, 2025, in Denver, Colorado. This year’s theme, “Communicate to Elevate,” reflects a dual commitment to “lifting as we climb” through mentorship and collaboration, and to advancing scholarship, teaching, and service through innovation.
Professor Magdalena Wojcieszak and colleagues report in Nature Human Behaviour that encouraging social-media users in France and Germany to add just two mainstream news accounts to their feeds made them noticeably better at spotting misinformation, more aware of current events, and more trusting of journalism; all without reducing their time on the platforms.
Every year, high performing Communication Seniors are recognized by Communication faculty for their outstanding achievements, which include both academic and extracurricular activities. Moreover, among these high achieving students, one student is selected as Outstanding Senior.
Orange Cluster CAO Jessie Murray Receives UC Davis Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award
Jessie Murray, Chief Administrative Officer of the Orange Cluster, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award for Exceptional University Management—the highest staff recognition at UC Davis.
The UC Davis Department of Communication transformed the Teaching & Learning Center into a bustling crossroads for neuroscientists, computer scientists, political scientists, sociologists, and communication scholars during last weekend’s Communication Horizons 2025 conference.
by Written by Ashley Hanmore and Allyson Snyder Photos by Rachel McKenzie
As part of ongoing efforts to bring social science to the local community, the Human Development and Media Lab (led by Dr. Drew Cingel) highlighted a project on children’s learning from virtual reality at the Children’s Discovery Fair on Picnic Day, UC Davis’ annual celebration that attracts more than 75,000 visitors.
