Dan was selected as a 2026–27 Fellow of the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement (UC-NCFSCE). “Each year, the UC-NCFSCE selects fellows from a broad range of disciplines and professional backgrounds, including law, journalism, higher education, social science, technology and government. Fellows receive funding to advance research and public dialogue related to expression and democratic participation on college campuses.

He is examining the role of artificial intelligence in civic learning and democratic participation,” writes Debra Herrick, in her article here: https://news.ucsb.edu/2026/022698/comm-scholar-dan-lane-named-uc-fellow-research-ai-and-civic-engagement?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Read%20more%20about%20Lane%E2%80%99s%20work&utm_campaign=October%2027%2C%202026. Dan is also director of the UCSB Digital Political Inequality Lab.

Shaunak has been appointed as the Stephen D. and Louise A. Pahl Endowed Professor of Communication, as part of his position as Director of the Pahl Center for the Study of Critical Social Issues in the Division of Social Sciences at UC Santa Barbara (https://pahlcenter.ucsb.edu/). The Pahl Center fosters innovative research and dialogue on the most urgent issues shaping our communities and our world. Professor Sastry is also currently Vice-President of the National Communication Association. See https://www.comm.ucsb.edu/people/shaunak-sastry

“Prof Slam” kicked off UCSB Alumni Weekend on October 15, 2026. Advertised as a “Battle of the Brains,” six UCSB professors had “exactly three minutes each to present their complex, cutting-edge research in an entertaining, accessible way” at the M Special Brewing Company in downtown Santa Barbara See https://www.alumni.ucsb.edu/events/all-gaucho-reunion/prof-slam).

Amid a packed crowd, five judges rated professors from Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology; Materials Research; Chicana and Chicano Studies; History; Bioengineering; and Chemical Engineering spoke, along with Joe Walther from Communication.

Following in the footsteps of last year’s Prof Slam winner, Norah Dunbar, Walther tied for first place (with 2 minutes, 59 and 58/10ths of a second) on “why internet haters love to hate.” He synopsized his recent theory and research concluding, “Taylor Swift got it almost right: Haters gonna hate -- when other haters love them for it.” 

The Communication Department will display the winners’ trophy for half a year. 

UCSB Communication Mentorship Program 2026-27

Comm Students and Alumni Timeline:

Sign up Now!

Deadline to register is December 27, 2026.

See https://www.comm.ucsb.edu/alumni/involvement/digital-mentoring to learn more about...

• about benefits to Student Mentees and Alumni Mentors
• how the Comm Mentoring Program works
• frequently asked questions and answers about the Program
• how to register
• what some current Mentors and Mentees say about the Program

On the form, be sure to check the appropriate box indicating you are a Mentor (Alumni), or Mentee (Student)

Get Matched!

Your mentorship will start during the first 2 weeks of January, 2027

Connect!

Engage with your mentor January 25 – June 11, 2027.

Our Mission:

The UCSB Comm Alumni Council aims to support the professional development and lifelong engagement of students and alumni. One important component is our Mentorship Program, which matches current students with alumni to build communities that support social and professional networking as students enter the next phase of their lives. This will be our 4th edition of the program, and each year the program has been growing massively. Last year, we had over 430 total participants; with the momentum we have had in recent years, we expect this number to continue growing. We have received some incredible testimonies and feedback, and even a few examples of students getting job opportunities directly through their mentor’s network of professionals.

Industries of our Alumni:

Mentors are all graduates of UCSB’s Communication Department, and are experts in Advertising, Digital Strategy, Event Planning, Marketing, Sales and so much more! Whether you have a career path in mind, or are still learning all the doors a Communication degree can open, sign up now for relevant advice.

Some Potential Topics:

• a specific industry
• a specific job function
• building connections and networking
• finding a job 
• finding success in your first job    
• grad school advice 
• interviewing 
• job offers: negotiating and evaluating 
• LinkedIn advice 
• personal growth and development
• resumes

Howie won the 2026 Outstanding Journal Article Award from the National Communication Association’s Communication and Aging Division. Giles, H. (2025). Theoretical approaches to communicative practices and intergenerational communication. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 101(1), 3-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/00914150241297398

Abstract: “Intergenerational communication and aging is a thriving interdisciplinary, methodologically diverse field having significant implications for understanding the aging process. This opening article to the special issue provides a brief overview of this research domain, with particular attention to theoretical practices within it. Communication accommodation theory (CAT) is introduced given it has provided a foundation for other well-cited models of communication and aging. In so doing, a couple of the CAT principles are elaborated, based on recent work on age meta-stereotyping and intergroup felt understanding. CAT is also a component of the influential "communication ecology model of successful aging" and, after exploring some of its tenets, its visually schematic representation is elaborated as well as connections speculated regarding its relationship with the communicative lives of SuperAgers. Thereafter, highlights emerging from the articles in this special issue that follow are drawn out.”