Skip to main content
Skip to main content

University of Maryland Communication Home

COMM Department Members Excelled at ICA!

ICA's 75th Conference was held in Denver, CO

Read More about COMM Department Members Excelled at ICA!

Dr. Leah Waks Wins Outstanding Academic Program Leadership Award

Congratulations to Dr. Waks!

Read More about Dr. Leah Waks Wins Outstanding Academic Program Leadership Award

Faith Otchere Awarded 2025 ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship

Congratulations to Dr. Otchere, May 2025 COMM PhD graduate!

Read More about Faith Otchere Awarded 2025 ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship

COMM Department 2025 Award Winners

Congratulations to this year's departmental award winners!

Read More about COMM Department 2025 Award Winners

Dept. of Communication's Graduate Program wins Award for Graduate Student Mentorship

We are very proud of our Graduate Program!

Read More about Dept. of Communication's Graduate Program wins Award for Graduate Student Mentorship

Explore Communication at UMD

Undergraduate Students

Interested in our undergraduate program?

The Department of Communication at the University of Maryland offers a B.A. in communication, a rhetoric minor and an oral communication program. Communication is a Top Ten major at the University of Maryland and has been for ten years.


Graduate Students

Graduate Students


Faculty and Staff Information

Faculty and Staff Information

Search our directory to learn about our faculty and staff, or access resources relevant to faculty and staff.


Factors influencing international students’ adoption of generative artificial intelligence: The mediating role of perceived values and attitudes

Research on international students and AI

Communication

Author/Lead: Taufiq Ahmad
Dates:

The present study examines the factors influencing international students’ intentions to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). Our results showed that attitude toward GenAI use, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, enjoyment, subjective norms, novelty, trust in technology, perceived value, and AI literacy were positively associated with intention to use GenAI. Fear of plagiarism had a negative relationship with intention to use GenAI. Our mediation analysis suggested that trust in technology, perceived ease of use, fear of plagiarism, perceived usefulness, and AI literacy indirectly influenced GenAI usage intention via attitude and perceived value, underscoring both the appeal and concerns of GenAI in learning. This study contributed to the TPB, VAM, and TAM frameworks by incorporating fear of plagiarism, trust in technology, and AI literacy to demonstrate how cognitive, affective, and value-based factors collectively influence the adoption of GenAI technologies among international students.

Read More about Factors influencing international students’ adoption of generative artificial intelligence: The mediating role of perceived values and attitudes

A first look at the coverage of Afghan evacuee resettlement in eight U.S. community newspapers

New study examining newspaper coverage of Afghan resettlement in the U.S. after the end of America’s "longest war"

Communication

Author/Lead: Tania Nachrin
Dates:

The study examines local newspaper coverage of Afghan resettlement in the U.S. after the end of America’s ‘longest war’ in 2021. The papers are prominent news outlets of the counties where the military bases housing evacuees are located. We use a mixed-methods approach to examine news articles collected over an eighteen-month period. The study will analyze prominent sources, characteristics of evacuees, and themes in coverage. Themes were derived using both inductive and deductive methods. ‘America as land of opportunity’ and ‘moral obligation’ were dominant themes. Study results will provide a temporal marker that allows researchers to measure future changes in community attitudes towards evacuees. Thematic analysis demonstrates linkages between discourses such as moral obligation, migrants as threats, and process and how they help maintain U.S. power and hegemony. Rendering a critique of news coverage by analyzing how articles deployed and resisted these dominant themes, the study hopes to contribute towards a more nuanced approach towards media coverage of forced migration.

Read More about A first look at the coverage of Afghan evacuee resettlement in eight U.S. community newspapers

Picturing Madam Vice President on the Campaign Trail: Instagram Narratives and User Fantasies of Kamala Harris

New Study on Instagram Narratives and User Fantasies of Kamala Harris

Communication

Author/Lead: Nana Kwame Osei Fordjour
Dates:

Instagram has become an essential platform for youth engagement and political campaign discourse. This study builds on this strand of knowledge by analyzing how the U.S. Vice President and the Democratic party’s presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, employed the platform during the 2024 campaigns over 5months by assessing the narratives as well as user fantasies. Findings indicated that the narratives emphasized her administration’s political achievements and positions, her commitment to amplifying every voice, her personal and social identity, as well as global voice and initiatives. These narratives generate two fantasy themes around her personalized leadership style, impact, and ideological positioning. Harris’s campaign discourse on Instagram conformed to the identity expectations of the American electorates and the youth-dominated platform dynamics, positioning her as an advocate for equity.

Read More about Picturing Madam Vice President on the Campaign Trail: Instagram Narratives and User Fantasies of Kamala Harris

Sorry, no events currently present.