Giovanny Rodriguez is an M.A./Ph.D. student at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research interests center on examining interpersonal and family communication patterns among migrant single parents and their children during migration and in post-migration U.S. integration. His scholarship is grounded in a community-based approach.

Andee is a first generation M.A./Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As a previous McNair Scholar & CSU Pre-Doctoral scholar, Andee studied decision making in digital environments. She earned her B.S. in Information Systems at California State University, Long Beach and worked in research administration at UCI Law where she developed research interests in digital equity to support marginalized groups.

Sojeong Im is a doctoral student in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research centers on computer-mediated communication and human-AI interaction, exploring how interpersonal communication theories apply to AI contexts. Her research interests focus on: (1) the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral impacts of sycophantic or disconfirmatory AI; (2) how communication technology features and affordances shape long-term individual effects; and (3) broader questions surrounding human-centered AI. She received her M.A. in Communication from Seoul National University. Prior to her master's studies, she worked for about five years as a business planner and manager at an automotive distribution company. 

My research is inspired by culture-centered approaches to understanding health and well-being. I am interested in how cultural and structural factors shape health experiences, access to resources, and communication processes. I also study the role of emerging technologies in health communication, particularly how people perceive, interact with, and seek support from AI in health contexts.

Mahmudur Rahman is a doctoral student in Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on organizational and interpersonal communication, with particular interest in how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies shape relationships, collaboration, and organizing.