Kylie Falcione's research focuses on understanding how and when media use becomes problematic. She investigates this question through an innovative mix of methods, including brain imaging, community-driven research, mixed-method survey studies, computer vision, longitudinal analyses, and computational approaches with big data. Her work has advanced the field by identifying key drivers of gaming disorder, developing clinical cut-off scores for the Problematic Media Use Measure, and uncovering brain mechanisms linked to the comorbidity between gaming disorder and mental health challenges. Kylie's research has been published in leading outlets such as JAMA Network Open, NeuroImage, and The Handbook of Mental Health Communication. She is currently on the academic job market.

Veronica critically engages with the intersection of mental health and her research, with a particular focus on how effective communication and strong relationships can enhance overall well-being. Her professional trajectory is fundamentally geared towards conducting in-depth investigations to reinforce relational dynamics, amplify mental well-being, and thus catalyze conditions conducive to holistic thriving.

Nan Wilkenfeld is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in Human-Machine Communication (HMC). Her interdisciplinary research explores the complex interactions between humans and emerging technologies, with a focus on agency, power dynamics, and synchrony in human-robot collaboration. Nan’s work bridges interpersonal and organizational communication theories to deepen our understanding of how people navigate and negotiate their relationships with intelligent systems, such as exoskeletons and conversational agents. 

Her published research appears in top-tier journals, including Frontiers in Robotics and AI and Human-Machine Communication, addressing key issues such as authenticity in human-machine relationships and institutional logics in technology adoption. In addition to her research, Nan is passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of scholars, guiding students through courses on human behavior and communication in digital contexts. 

She is also the social media manager for the Human Machine Communication Interest Group at ICA. 

Brittany Wheeler is a graduate researcher in the Media Neuroscience Lab in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her current projects include studies of 1) bullying within higher education in online environments, 2) social determinants of online hate speech, and 3) risk factors of cyber-sexual harassment. Her work draws on both quantitative and computational methods to understand these online processes. Brittany's research has appeared in outlets such as Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, Journal of Homosexuality, and Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Minghui is a PhD student in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Two questions she seeks to answer are: (1) how communication can bring about positive physical and mental health outcomes; and (2) how people’s perception of health itself evolves as a function of media content. Her research is process-driven and focuses on the psychological mechanism between media exposure and media effects. Prior to joining UCSB, she served as a research assistant at Shenzhen University, where she focused on studying online medical consultation and HIV interventions using social media.

Laurent Wang (ABD, UC Santa Barbara) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, his research seeks to understand how online privacy decision-making is shaped by various social, psychological, and technological factors. Another line of his work adopts an ecological lens to understand how disadvantaged groups navigate challenges concerning device disruptions and digital skills gaps in the constantly-shifting technological landscape. He has published in leading journals such as Communication Research, Communication Monographs, New Media & Society, and Journal of Advertising. He has received prestigious research awards such as the James J. Bradac Award and the Steven H. Chaffee Award for Excellence in Research. His research activities have been supported by various external (e.g., the National Science Foundation, Washington Media Scholars Foundation, and the International Communication Association) and internal funding sources (e.g., UCSB’s African and Asian Students in STEM program).

Jacova serves as the staff graduate advisor, coordinates TA assignments, organizes course scheduling, and manages the Undergraduate Advising team. Jacova started as the Student Affairs Manager in summer of 2023, but she has been a proud member of the Department of Communication as a graduate student since fall of 2021, finishing her MA in spring of 2023. During her time in graduate school, Jacova focused her research broadly on organizational communication with projects on remote onboarding and anticipatory socialization of college students to the world of work. Prior to becoming a Gaucho, Jacova received her BA in Communication Studies from Azusa Pacific University and worked for several years in student life at Grand Canyon University. When she's not in the office, you can find her playing volleyball at the beach, spending way too much money on coffee at Handlebar, and exploring southern California with her husband, Brian!

Jade is a MA/PhD student in the Department of Communication at UCSB. They received their BAs in Communication and French, as well as a minor in Psychology, from the University of Arizona in 2021. Jade's research interests lie in interpersonal communication, particularly in the context of friendship and damaging behavior in close relationships.