Events & Programming

CHRC MINI CONFERENCE

The Center for Health and Risk Communication hosted its annual Mini Conference on Friday, November 14, 2025. The event brought together graduate students, undergraduate students, faculty, and staff from across the Department of Communication. 

Featured Presentations (*indicates Faculty lead): 

Public Perceptions of Climate Justice in the United States
Presented by: ChenChen Wang
Research team: *Becca Beets, Leah Waks, Misa Park, Courtnee Connon, and Chenchen Wang

Social Media Metrics and Perspective-Taking in Persuading AI Regulation
Presented by:  Shilin (Sophie) Xia
Research team: *Jiyoun Kim, Esther Son, Shilin (Sophie) Xia, and Yuxiao Zhang

Effective Use of AI-Generated Images for Non-Profit Disaster Communication
Presented by: Marcus Wu
Research team: *Sun Lee, Marcus Wu, Tania Chanda, and Anuoluwapo Adesina

Can AI Sound Empathetic? A Qualitative Study of ChatGPT’s Role in Student Mental Health Support
Presented by: Seyeon Park
Research team: *Kang Namkoong, Xingman Wu, Rudy Kim, Xinyi Song,  and Austin Ao

AI as a Nonhuman Support Agent: How Chatbot Use Impacts Human Health Discussion Networks
Presented by: Yan Qu
Research team: *Yan Qu, Jeonghyun (Grace) Kim, Austin Ao, Taufiq Ahmad, and Tania Chanda

VIRTUAL SEMINAR SERIES

Watch presentations from our virtual seminar speakers.

Spring 2023: Dr. Xiaoquan Zhao, Professor, George Mason University; Dr. John Besley, Ellis N. Brandt Professor of Public Relations, Michigan State University

Fall 2023: Dr. Angela Cooke-Jackson, Professor, Department of Communication Studies, California State University – Los Angeles, Co-director, Intimate Communication Lab; Dr. Brian Southwell, Senior Director, Science in the Public Sphere, Center for Communication Science, RTI International

Spring 2022: Dr. Shawnika Hull, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, Rutgers University; Visiting Professor, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California – San Francisco and Dr. Emily Vraga, Associate Professor, Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Minnesota

Fall 2021: Dr. Nathan Walter, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies and Faculty, Center for Communication and Health, Northwestern University and Dr. Jiyoung Lee, Assistant Professor, Journalism & Creative Media, University of Alabama

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES (2014-2019)

Watch presentations from our distinguished speakers here.

Fall 2019: Dr. Rajiv Rimal, Professor and Chair, Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

Spring 2019: Dr. Robert Hornik, Wilbur Schramm Professor of Communication and Health Policy, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylania

Fall 2018: Dr. Susan Morgan, Professor of Communication, Associate Provost for Research and Development, University of Miami

Spring 2018: Dr. Daniel O’Keefe, Owen L. Coon Professor of Communication, Northwestern University

Fall 2017: Dr. James P. Dillard, Distinguished Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Pennsylvania State University

Spring 2017: Dr. William Klein, Associate Director, Behavioral Research Program, Director of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute

Fall 2016: Dr. Bradford Hesse, Chief, Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, National Cancer Institute

Spring 2016: Dr. K. “Vish” Viswanath, Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Director of the Health Communication Core of the Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center

Fall 2015: Dr. Robin L. Nabi, Professor, Department of Communication, University of California – Santa Barbara

Spring 2015: Dr. Gary Kreps, University Distinguished Professor, Director, Center for Health and Risk Communication, Department of Communication, George Mason University

Fall 2014: Dr. Joseph N. Cappella, Gerald R. Miller Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania