Alison's research interests are driven by the goal of revealing the way our environments, both real and virtual, can directly impact our emotions, attitudes, and behaviors. Ultimately, Alison aims to make the neuroscience of media influence inclusive and accessible to media users and audiences of various backgrounds, such as adolescents and individuals with mental illnesses. She is also interested in how emerging media and technologies can reshape the philosophical and social dynamics surrounding them. Alison's background in neuroscience and philosophy and her research at the Chapman University Brain Institute have contributed to her interdisciplinary approach to communication research. Alison studied neuroscience, philosophy, and theology at the University of San Diego and more recently received her M.S. in Health and Strategic Communication from Chapman University.

Hillary joined the Department of Communication in August 2024. She is a UCSB alum (class of 2003!) who is excited to be back at UCSB to support the Department of Communication. She received her B.A. in English with a minor in Sociocultural Linguistics. Afterwards, she stayed at UCSB to complete her Elementary Teaching Credential and Masters in Education. After teaching for a couple years in Santa Barbara, she decided to change careers and worked as a Bookkeeper and Office Administrator for two small construction companies. Hillary is an avid reader who particularly loves audiobooks and is eager to swap book recommendations with anyone. She enjoys giving back to the community through volunteering, and is currently an active board member of her kids’ school PTA. She, her husband, and 3 kids are first time dog owners who recently adopted the cutest puppy named Clover.

Dr. Guadalupe Madrigal is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her previous work focused on news media portrayals of immigrant children in the news over the past 30 years, and the consequences of these representations in contemporary politics. Her current research explores the interplay of identity and information in political processes, especially related to policy in the United States. Dr. Madrigal also has a vested interest in Chicanx/a/o and Latinx/a/o studies and is an affiliate faculty member of the Chicano Studies Institute. Her research has appeared in outlets such as Communication Theory, Political Communication, Politics Groups and Identities, and the International Journal of Press/Politics. When Guadalupe is not researching or teaching, she is dancing salsa, crocheting, sewing, or reading novels. She is also affectionately known by her nickname “Lupita.”

Katherine ("Katie") Elder is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Communication. Prior to joining UCSB, she was on the faculty at California State University, Channel Islands (winning the Arts & Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award in 2022), and previously worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas Health Science Center on a grant-funded project designed to tailor health-related messaging to the needs and beliefs of state legislators. She studies translation and implementation science, focusing specifically on how to bridge the gap between public health research and health policy. Her research interests are motivated by her work in the public sector. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked for two years as a program analyst in the Obama administration at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Recovery Act Office, where she was responsible for stimulus-created jobs data posted quarterly on Recovery.gov. She has also worked on projects for the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the U.S. Department of State in Kampala, Uganda, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.