The Institute for Communication and Information Research at The University of Alabama
The Institute for Communication and Information Research (ICIR) is a premier communication research facility located within the College of Communication and Information Sciences, on The University of Alabama’s campus, in Reese Phifer Hall. Contact: icir@ua.edu
Mission Statement: The Institute for Communication and Information Research, an entity of the Office for the Associate Dean for Research, at The University of Alabama maximizes the research efforts of the faculty in the College of Communication and Information Sciences.
Vision Statement: To be regarded as the premier entity for communication and information research; responsible for supporting and improving the quality of research conducted by faculty and students; committed to stimulating research activity within the college; dedicated to serving, coordinating, assessing, and delivering on the research needs of the C&IS community and beyond.
C&IS Strategic Priorities
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Enhance the research culture within C&IS to advance knowledge and creativity and provide students and faculty with research and creative activity opportunities.
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Support C&IS academic and extra-curricular programs related to research and creative activity scholarship.
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Acknowledge, encourage, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion within C&IS scholarship.
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Increase communication about C&IS research and creative activity scholarship, and grant activity via internal and external communication mechanisms.
Research
The Institute for Communication & Information Research offers research and creative services to companies and organizations of all sizes. From data collection and analysis to logo design and facility rentals, ICIR connects organizations and individuals with top communication and information professionals at The University of Alabama. Contact the ICIR today at icir@ua.edu to learn more about our contract services.
Research Design Consultation
Funding
IRB Protocol Assistance
Training
Participant Pool
C&IS Scholarship Areas
Facilities
C&IS and the Institute for Communication and Information Research are home to several research labs, observation rooms and collaboration spaces. These facilities allow our faculty, staff and students to conduct communication research in a variety of settings. For more information about our research facilities, click here.
Staff
Dr. Kim Bissell
Director
kbissell@ua.edu
Dr. Kim Bissell was appointed Director of the Institute for Communication & Information Research in 2011. Additionally, she serves as Associate Dean for Research in the College of Communication and Information Sciences. Dr. Bissell has had the title of the Southern Progress Corporation Endowed Professor in Magazine Journalism since 2008. She joined the UA faculty in 2000, and has published more than 30 journal articles and book chapters, most of which are related to the social effects of media.
Dr. Anneliese Bolland, LMSW, CHES®
Assistant Professor
acbolland@ua.edu
Dr. Anneliese Bolland, LMSW, CHES® joined the Institute for Communication & Information Research in 2018 and joined the faculty of Communication Studies in 2020. Her research is primarily focused on risk and protective factors related to growing up in growing up in communities characterized by poverty and is the current Principal Investigator of the Mobile Youth and Poverty Study. She is also an evaluator and has experience evaluating a variety of projects funded by the National Science Foundation, Department of Education, and National Endowment for the Arts.
Jackie Hayes
Program Assistant
jhayes11@ua.edu
Jackie Hayes joined the Institute for Communication & Information Research in 2019 as a program assistant working both in the ICIR and Office for Graduate Studies.
Graduate Assistants
Emily Dirks
Emily Dirks is a first-year doctoral student. She is originally from a very small town in New Mexico and received both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Texas Tech University. She went into her undergraduate degree trying to finish as quickly as possible but fell in love with research somewhere along the way. She loved it so much she decided to continue her education and pursue a career in the research field. Her research interests include social issues in sports and their portrayal in media with a specific interest in gender and race equity in sports media. She hopes to work in the sports media industry after completing her doctorate. When not working she loves a good sports or pop culture conversation.
Suyu Chou
Suyu Chou is a doctoral student at The University of Alabama College of Communication & Information Sciences. She works in the Health Communication and Biometrics Lab, the Alabama Reddit Research Group (ARRG) and the Public Opinion Lab (POL). Her research interests lie in the intersection of public anxiety on social media, risk perception and crisis management. Visit her website here.
Tony Rebaldo
Toni Rebaldo is a first-year doctoral student at The University of Alabama College of Communication & Information Sciences. Her hometown is Daphne, AL. Ms. Rebaldo has completed her BA and MS in Psychology from the University of Alabama. She currently is a graduate administrative assistant for the ICIR and is also a graduate teaching assistant for the Department of Advertising and Public Relations. Her research interests lie in the intersection of media and social psychology. Specifically, she is interested in understanding how the use of social media and communication online may impact variables such as one’s personal relationships, ideas of authenticity, and attribution theory.
Revise & Resubmit Podcast
Revise & Resubmit is a podcast produced by Dr. Kim Bissell and hosted by Drs. Kim Bissell & Anneliese Bolland. Listen to Revise & Resubmit to learn about research within C&IS as well as by C&IS alumni. Revise and Resubmit can be found on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
