Communication and Media Studies Doctoral Program Student Research

Our doctoral candidates work with internationally renowned SOJC faculty experts to do groundbreaking research on today’s most pressing communication and media realities.

A student walks away from the camera towards a campus building with trees covered in golden leaves out front
SOJC Research: Climate Change Can Catalyze Activism
The looming uncertainty and dangers of climate change can be paralyzing, but they can also be a motivating force to inspire activism, according to research by Communication and Media Studies PhD candidate Emmanuel Maduneme.
a person's hand holding a cell phone displaying a UO themed word game
SOJC Research: Brain Games May Boost Mental Health
Digital challenge games like Wordle or Sudoku may help restore psychological well-being, according to a study led by 2024 Ph.D. graduate Waseq Rahman and co-authored by Assistant Professor Maxwell Foxman.
Ruby Wool and Zachary Jones Neuray, student journalists representing the SOJC at the World Press Freedom Day conference, make O shapes with their hands while standing in front of a bright blue banner and a colorful mural
Student Journalists Cover Press Freedom Event
A SOJC contingent of students and faculty attended World Press Freedom Day in Santiago, Chile, where student reporters produced blogs, podcasts and photography for the UO-UNESCO Crossings website.
Two SOJC students review an augmented reality experience designed with Snapchat in the SOJC immersive media lab
Spreading Ideas with Augmented Reality Storytelling
Snap AR Scholars, a student-led agency made up of designers and researchers, created an augmented reality storytelling experience to promote the nonprofit Hope for Haiti while building job skills.
two people work with VR equipment in front of a screen displaying the VR content
Game studies researchers explore collegiate esports in the new EGR Lab
In the SOJC’s Esports and Games Research Lab, students explore the psychology, culture, and industry surrounding gaming—including its effectiveness as a learning tool and its integration into everyday life.
Tingyou Zou works at a laptop
Center for Science Communication Research grants help students and faculty answer science communication questions
Can virtual reality help solve environmental issues? Can an online chat make it easier to quit smoking? With the help of grants secured through the Center for Science Communication Research, SOJC PhD students tackle these questions and more.
Waseq Rahman
Life-changing play: PhD student Waseq Rahman explores games as tools for social change communication
Waseq Rahman researches how gameplay generates thought-provoking experiences leading to greater insights about purpose and personal growth.
Two girls take turns looking at a slide through a microscope in a classroom.
How the pandemic may help more students see themselves as scientists
PhD students collaborated across disciplines to study how the COVID-19 pandemic affected high school students studying science.
sidewalk chalk messages of pride
PhD research: Small-town Pride celebrations emerge – and show that LGBTQ life in America is flourishing outside of cities
For their dissertation, a PhD student who studies rural transgender media activism documented LGBTQ+ pride celebrations in small-town America.
A peruvian student sits in a red plastic chair watching an educational broadcast at home while unable to attend school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mapping the promises and perils of distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic: Peru’s case