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Dr. Xiaoli Nan Awarded Impressive Grant from NIH

Congratulations to Dr. Nan and colleagues on this incredible accomplishment!

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Remembering Tim Strachan ('99)

Beloved COMMunity Member & Former Maryland Broadcaster

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COMM Department Members Excelled at ICA!

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

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Dr. Leah Waks Wins Outstanding Academic Program Leadership Award

Congratulations to Dr. Waks!

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

We are very proud of our Graduate Program!

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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.


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Visual Narratives, Social Media, and National Image Construction: Strategic Lessons from the President of Ghana on Facebook

New Book Chapter on Visual Rhetoric and Strategic Political Communication

Communication

Author/Lead: Nana Kwame Osei Fordjour
Dates:

Studies on strategic visual political communication on social media have taken various cultural turns globally. This chapter uses a visual rhetorical approach to analyze 277 photographs of the President of Ghana’s Facebook page (H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo) after he was sworn into office in 2021. Considering the thematic, conceptual, and thought-provoking implications of visual rhetoric, the findings indicated that the President of Ghana constructed national images of Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, its decorous political sphere, Ghana’s security preparedness, as well as its commitment to ethics, legal, and moral uprightness. The chapter discusses the finding’s broader implications for strategic communication and argues that visual rhetoric contributes to the praxis of strategic political communication. 

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No-Budget Feature Filmmaking in the Digital Era: Cinema in Ones and Zeroes

New 2025 book, "No-Budget Feature Filmmaking in the Digital Era" published by Palgrave-Macmillan

Communication

Author/Lead: Adam Wayne Nixon
Dates:

This book chronicles the transformative impact of CMOS sensor technology on the global DIY filmmaking community. Through the lens of an ethnographer and outsider filmmaker, the author explores how digital cameras have democratized the art of filmmaking, allowing amateurs to create professional-quality films on a shoestring budget. The journey begins with the author's own experience creating Aspirin for the Masses, a feature film shot for just $500, and extends into the broader world of no-budget filmmaking. Key concepts include the rise of the "Am-Auteur," the role of film festivals in identity creation, and the cultural capital of low-cost cinema. The book examines how digital technology has redefined notions of media dissolution and creation, offering new pathways for identity formation. It also delves into the performative aspects of film festivals, where outsider artists gain socio-cultural status. This book is essential for scholars, filmmakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of technology and art. It offers a unique perspective on how digital cameras have reshaped the filmmaking landscape, empowering a new generation of creators to challenge traditional norms and redefine what it means to be an auteur in the digital age.

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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.

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