Research

Grady Research

Research at Grady College

Pursuing effective messages and stories that have a broad impact.

Faculty and graduate students at Grady College are recognized for their innovative research, critical thinking and thought leadership. From global communication studies and press freedom, to communicating with virtual reality, eye tracking and social media listening, we are leaders in pursuing effective messages and stories that have a broad impact. 

A few of our areas of specialty include:

Crisis communications — led by Dr. Yan Jin who also directs the Crisis Communication Think Tank.

Health & risk communications — led by Dr. Glen Nowak, one of the leading experts on communcations about vaccination acceptance. 

Message testing — featuring our Psychophysiology Suite, which includes eye-tracking equipment, as well as measures for heart and brain response for visual and audio stimulus.

Social media analytics and emerging technologies — featuring our SEE Suite, a social media listening and analytics lab dedicated to studying the messages people are talking about online.

Virtual reality and augmented reality — led by Dr. Grace Ahn, who is directing a $3.3 million grant project right now testing the effectiveness of virtual reality in rewarding children for meeting physical fitness goals.

We invite you to review our areas of expertise and see how we can collaborate on your next project. 

Research Articles

Between the Woods, the Fire, and the Water: The Ways to Sticky Crisis READINESS.
Yan Jin (Keynote Speaker). “Between the Woods, the Fire, and the Water: The Ways to Sticky Crisis READINESS.” ECREA Crisis8 Conference, September 15-17, 2025, Bucharest, Romania.
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Telenovelas and Turkish Dramas: A Window into Culture, Society and Soft Power
Carolina Acosta-Alzuru (August 2025), “Telenovelas and Turkish Dramas: A Window into Culture, Society and Soft Power,” Council on Foreign Relations. New York, NY. Abstract: There are stories that are addictive. […]
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Combatting Disinformation Campaigns by Harnessing the Power of Memes
Hye Jin Yoon & Huang, Y. “Combatting Disinformation Campaigns by Harnessing the Power of Memes,” Expanding theory for integrity in public communication, Page Center Research Roundtable, invited presentation online, September 25, […]
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Monetization of Minors in Social Media Content
Jessica Maddox provided invited testimony to the Oklahoma House of Representatives for their hearing on Monetization of Minors in Social Media Content legislation (a proposed “family vlogging” or “kidflunecer” law). Maddox’s […]
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Cultivating emotional intelligence and mindfulness in high-pressure communication
Zifei Fay Chen (2025, September 23). “Cultivating emotional intelligence and mindfulness in high-pressure communication.” [Invited guest host]. PublicRelay Virtual Roundtable. Description: Communication leaders navigate relentless news cycles, constant connectivity, and […]
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Fighting Anti-Vaccine Memes with Memes: Individual’s Past Disease Experience Effects
Hye Jin Yoon, Kim, H. (Grady PhD alum), Seo, J. K. (Grady PhD alum), Han, J.-Y., Ko, Y. (Grady PhD alum), & Seo, Y. (Grady PhD alum), “Fighting Anti-Vaccine Memes […]
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The Boundaries of Intersectional Journalism Studies: Gender, Migration Biography and East/West German Socialization
Karin Assmann and Eckert, S. “The Boundaries of Intersectional Journalism Studies: Gender, Migration Biography and East/West German Socialization,” paper presented at the Journalism Studies Division Conference of the German Communication Association; […]
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Understanding Influenza Vaccination Attitudes and Behaviors: An Assessment of Health Decision-making Preferences
K-A. M. Anderson, Glen J. Nowak, Michael A. Cacciatore, P. Rohani, and J.M. Drake (accepted for publication), “Understanding Influenza Vaccination Attitudes and Behaviors: An Assessment of Health Decision-making Preferences,” Vaccine. […]
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Cultural Insights for the READINESS Framework: A Qualitative Study of Practitioner and Scholar Perspectives
Brittany Shivers (PhD student), Yan Jin, Grace Mains (MA alum), Yijing Wang, River Gracey (PhD student), W. Timothy Coombs, and Toni van der Meer (2025). “Cultural Insights for the READINESS […]
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Grady Research Radio Podcast

Grady Research Radio highlights the research and expertise coming out of Grady College, advancing knowledge, innovation and creation in the fields of journalism, advertising, public relations, and entertainment and media studies.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher.

The Latest

Read the newest headlines, get updates and discover events happening at Grady.

Grady College faculty member explores the future of dubbing

A new study, conducted by Laurena Bernabo, Grady College assistant professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies, highlights dubbing professionals’ perspectives on the changing role of artificial intelligence […]

Grady College faculty and graduate students showcase their research at 2025 AEJMC Colloquium

Faculty and graduate students from Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication will present research and network with other educators at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication […]

Storm surge virtual reality simulation designed to save lives

 Weather the Storm, a virtual reality simulation that takes users through the effects of storm surge to communicate its devastating and sometimes fatal consequences, is now available for download. This […]

Headshot of Nicholas Eng with Faculty Research header.

Nicholas Eng studies human emotions in environmental and health message design

Nicholas Eng has long been interested in emotion science and prosocial environmental and health messaging. How people respond emotionally to different sequences of positive and negative environmental messages is the […]

Carolina Acosta Alzuru stands on the Schnitzer Family Media Lawn outside of Grady College.

Carolina Acosta-Alzuru receives 2024-25 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru, a professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, has received a Fulbright Distinguished […]

A news slider with a red background and a photo of Hye Jin Yoon. It has text with the episode name: "The power of humor in advertising."

The power of humor in advertising, with Dr. Hye Jin Yoon

Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Dr. Hye Jin Yoon (MA ‘06, PhD ‘10) is an associate professor of advertising in the Department of Advertising and […]

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Study shows the impact of environmental corporate social responsibility communication

With the rising threats of climate change and environmental degradation, many companies and organizations have instilled sustainability goals over recent years. But, how can they effectively motivate employees to engage […]

Perspectives

“My favorite memory as a Ph.D. student was working as a senior researcher at Grady College’s Digital Media Attention and Cognition (DMAC) Lab. The team would pitch study ideas and work collaboratively to bring those projects to fruition. It was honestly so cool to conduct eye-tracking studies, meet over Jittery Joe’s coffee, and then apply our individual strengths to share our work with others in the field.”

Camila Young

Ph.D. ’20, Social Research Scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Perspectives

“It’s exciting to see our student journalists wanting to engage with larger questions about the future of the industry and journalism’s role in society. CURO is a great way to support these emerging scholars as they take their first steps into research.”

Karin Assmann

Assistant Professor, Journalism