Communication professors Lee Humphreys '99 and Jeff Niederdeppe have received a major honor in their field. They were elected to be Fellows in the International Communication Association (ICA).

It is a recognition of their distinguished contributions to the broad field of communication. Fellows represent only a small percentage of ICA membership. The Board of Directors of the ICA approved the election of Humphreys and Niederdeppe at the association’s annual conference, held in Paris in May.

The ICA is an academic association for scholars interested in the study, teaching, and application of all aspects of communication.  

It began more than 50 years ago as a small association of U.S. researchers. It is now an international association with more than 6,000 members from 80 countries. It aims to advance the study of human communication by encouraging excellence in academic research.

Humphreys is chair of the Department of Communication in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Cornell Center for Social Sciences’ Qualitative and Interpretive Research Center. She studies the social uses and perceived effects of communication technology. Her research has explored mobile phone use in public spaces, emerging norms on mobile social networks, and the privacy and surveillance implications of location-based services. Her recent scholarship tries to historicize social media into a broader context of communication practices.

Niederdeppe is Associate Dean of Faculty Development in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, communication professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and serves as co-director of the Cornell Center for Health Equity. His research examines the mechanisms and effects of mass media campaigns, strategic messages and news coverage in shaping health behavior and social policy. He is committed to producing, supporting, and disseminating innovative and rigorous research to support efforts to achieve health equity.

Jim Hanchett is assistant dean of communications in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy.