Journalism and Mass Communications Faculty, Alumni Receive International Recognition

Faculty and alumni from the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications (JRMC) have received international recognition for their work this summer.

At the International Communication Association (ICA) annual conference held in Denver, Colorado, Laila Abbas (MA ’24) received the Top Dissertation Award for her master’s thesis, titled, “Emotionally Stimulated Activism on TikTok: The Impact of Exposure to Audiovisual Moral Violations on Collective Action in the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ Movement.”

Her thesis supervisor Professor Shahira Fahmy said, “Laila’s accomplishment is a testament to the outstanding quality of work produced at AUC, as she competed against top PhD dissertations from around the globe and emerged victorious. This showcases our students’ potential to excel well beyond the ordinary.” 

Abbas recently joined a communications PhD program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“This accomplishment is a testament to the outstanding quality of work produced at AUC... This showcases our students’ potential to excel well beyond the ordinary.” 

Menna Elhosary (MA ’24) was also awarded for her work at the ICA, receiving the Top Student Paper Award in the Visual Communication Division — with an acceptance rate of only 31% — for her paper, “Pixels of Prejudices: Decoding Embedded Biases in AI-generated News Imagery and their Implications for Visual Journalism — Toward an Algorithmic Mediated Visual Framing.” Elhosary is currently pursuing a PhD at City St George’s, University of London.

Professor Kim Fox was also among those recognized this summer, receiving global attention across cultural platforms for an audio piece she co-produced, featuring vocals from Hana Afifi ’14, called Birdland Refracted. The piece was shortlisted for the Audio Flux Circuit 05 competition and was chosen as one of only four Circuit Selects, premiering as part of the Sound Scene Festival at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. 

Ahead of that debut, Birdland Refracted aired on LRT Radijas, the main public radio network in Lithuania, introducing the work to a European audience. The piece also drew attention from the media industry, earning a mention in Nieman Lab and additionally featuring in the Happy Hour/Happy Ears 05 Finalist Listening Party.

In the thick of the summer and with a new academic year on the horizon, AUC is excited to discover how its creative faculty, alumni and students will continue to excel in their fields.