Recent Ph.D. Graduates
The Ph.D. in Communication and Information Sciences is a research-intensive program designed to prepare communication scholars for positions of leadership in education, public service, media and other communication-related fields. The three- to four-year, in-residence program features a highly customizable, interdisciplinary curriculum that spans the fields of communication and information sciences. You will work with our award-winning graduate faculty to create a plan of study and advance your knowledge and skills in communication and information sciences.
Recent Ph.D. Graduates
| Name | Graduation Term | Advisor | Dissertation Topic | Exit Plan |
| Dr. Megan Whitten Cordingly | 2021 | Dr. Kenon Brown | Effectiveness of Persuasive Attacks on Perceptions of Blame And Offensiveness For A Sexual Assault on A College Campus |
University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies IT Program Manager, Data and Analytics |
| Dr. Hannah George | 2021 | Dr. Heather Carmack | No Plan B Whatsoever: Student Perception of Vocational Preparedness With Career Ambiguous Majors |
University of Alabama Capstone Center for Student Success Academic Advisor |
| Dr. Nathan Towery | 2021 | Dr. Andrew Billings | I pledge allegiance”: Examining motivations for sport fanship and fandom in the American South |
Jackson State University Department of Mass Communications Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Bumsoo Park | 2021 |
Dr. Kenon Brown Dr. Andrew Billings |
Politics-Free In The Sports World?: An Empirical Examination of the Social and Marketing Impacts of Athlete Activism |
University of South Florida Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communication Visiting Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Oluwadamilola O. Opayemi | 2021 | Dr. Josh Pederson | Transition, Relational Turbulence and Relationship-Focused Coping during Pregnancy after Perinatal Loss |
Utah State University Department of Communication Studies and Philosophy Post Doc |
| Dr. Yiben Liu | 2021 |
Dr. Wilson Lowrey Dr. Elliot Panek |
Engaging Youth in the Hybrid Media Environment: Media Technological Attributes’ Effects on Young People's Internet Political Efficacy during Second Screening |
Oklahoma State University School of Media and Strategic Communications Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Samuel Hakim | 2021 | Dr. Andrew Billings | Brushes with Stardom: Interpreting Interpersonal Interactions Between Athletes and Fans |
Clemson University Department of Communication Lecturer |
| Dr. Xiaoti Fan | 2021 | Dr. Darrin Griffin | In-Group Versis Out-Group: Examining Truth-Bias and Language Use In Inter-Group Communication |
University of Alabama Department of Communication Visiting Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Sharon Baldinelli | 2021 | Dr. Kim Bissell | Gathering, lathering and rathering through the pandemic |
University of Florida MD-Cancer Center for Clinical Trials Study Coordinator II |
| Dr. Jose Carlo Garcia de Pano | 2021 | Dr. Josh Pederson | Refocusing the lens of interpersonal persuasion research: message receiver-related variables and compliance resistance in various relational contexts |
University of the Philippines Diliman Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Orville Bacbac Tatcho | 2021 | Dr. Jessy Ohl | Post-truth and rhetorical citizenship in the Philippines: campaigns against truth and how to fight back |
University of the Philippines Baguio Department of Communication Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Sarah F. Price | 2021 | Dr. Sim Butler Dr. Jessy Ohl | Bodies of knowledge: critical rhetoric in interdisciplinary longitudinal health studies |
Florida Gulf Coast University Department of Communication & Philosophy Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Jeyoung Oh | 2021 | Dr. Eyun-Jung Ki | Can we build a relationship with artificial intelligence (AI)?: the influence of AI on organization-public relationships |
University of Michigan - Flint Department of Communication Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Sitong Guo | 2021 | Dr. Andrew Billings | Does locality predict sport fandom?: an examination of local, non-local, and distant nba fans in the United States and China |
University of Michigan Department of Communication and Media Lecturer |
| Dr. Danielle F. Deavours | 2021 | Dr. Wilson Lowrey | Not just what you say, but how you say it: neutrality of nonverbal behavior of journalists during crisis coverage |
University of Montevallo Department of Communication Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Josie Burks | 2020 | Dr. Karla Gower | Entrepreneurship is a pitch: determining successful persuasive processes utilized during entrepreneurial venture pitches |
University of Mississippi School of Business Administration Instructional Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Stephen Rush | 2020 | Dr. Kenon Brown | Blackballed: An empirical examination of the impact of race, gender, and identity on the sports image repair process |
Belmont University Department of Creative & Entertainment Industries Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Jeffery Hirschy | 2020 | Dr. Robert Riter | Civil Rights Collecting Institutions and the Facilitation of Public Engagement in the American South |
University of Southern Mississippi School of Library and Information Science Assistant Professor |
| Dr. Eric Cooks | 2020 | Dr. Kim Bissell | Hostile Media Perception in the Age of Social Media: The Role of Social Identity |
University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications - STEM Translational Communication Center Postdoctoral Associate |
| Dr. James C. Abdallah | 2020 | Dr. Andrew Billings | Saturday versus Sunday: differences in how fanship and fandom is performed through social media for professional and college football fans |
Coastal Carolina University Department of Communication, Media and Culture Assistant Professor |