Avery E. Holton
  • Department Chair, Communication
  • Associate Professor, Communication
  • Co-Research Coordinator, Center for Excellence in ELSI Research

Professional Service

  • University Center for Excellence in Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research. Research Co-Coordinator. 08/01/2019 - present
  • Society of Professional Journalists. Chair. 08/01/2019 - present
  • Utah Center for Excellence in ELSI Research. Graduate and Undergraduate Researchers of UCEER Disabilities Mentor. 01/2018 - present
  • Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication . Tankard Book Award Reviewer. 01/2018 - 12/2019
  • World Journalism Education Conference . Reviewer. 01/2018 - 12/2019
  • Academia. edu. Beta Editor. 01/2017 - present
  • National Communication Association. Outstanding Health Communication Scholar Award Committee. 01/2017 - present
  • Future of News Audience Engagement Committee, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). Development and planning of annual News Audience Engagement Day. 01/2017 - present
  • Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). Article reviewer for multiple sections/divisions: Communicating Science; Health, Environment (ComSHER); Communication Technology; Mass Communication & Society; Commission on the Status of Women Division; Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group, Participatory Journalism Interest Group . 01/2017 - present
  • International Communication Association (ICA). Article reviewer; multiple sections/divisions: Global Communication and Social Change; Communication and Technology; Journalism Studies; Mass Communication . 01/2017 - present
  • Sage Open (social and health sciences). Journal Reviewer. 01/2017 - present
  • Qualitative Health Research. Journal Reviewer. 01/2017 - present
  • New Media & Society. Journal Reviewer. 01/2017 - present
  • Journalism Studies. Journal Reviewer. 01/2017 - present
  • Journalism Practice. Journal Reviewer. 01/2017 - present
  • Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. Journal Reviewer. 01/2017 - present
  • Journal of Communication. Journal Reviewer. 01/2017 - present
  • Genetics in Medicine. Journal Reviewer. 01/2017 - present
  • Computers in Human Behavior. Journal Reviewer. 01/2017 - present
  • BMC Health Services Research (multiple). Journal Reviewer. 01/2017 - present
  • Media and Communication. Editorial Board Member. 01/2017 - present
  • Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media. Editorial Board Member. 01/2017 - present
  • Tankard Book Award, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Peer judge. 01/2015 - present
  • Broadcast Education Association . Peer reviewer, International Division. 01/2014 - present
  • Editorial Board Member. Case Studies in Strategic Communication; International Journal of Communication and Health; Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media. 01/2014 - present
  • Case Studies in Strategic Communication. Editorial Board Member. 12/2013 - present
  • Journalism Studies. Peer reviewer. 11/2013 - present
  • Communication Quarterly. Peer reviewer. 10/2013 - present
  • International Journal of Communication and Health. Editorial Board Member. 10/2013 - present
  • Sage Open. Peer reviewer, Social and Health Sciences. 10/2013 - present
  • Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies. Peer reviewer. 09/2013 - present
  • Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. Peer reviewer. 09/2013 - present
  • Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group (CCJIG) Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Professional Freedom and Responsibility Chair. 08/2013 - present
  • Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. Peer reviewer. 08/2013 - present
  • International Journal of Sports Communication. Peer reviewer. 08/2013 - present
  • Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk Division (ComSHER), Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Newsletter editor. 08/2013 - present
  • Future of News Audience Engagement Committee, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Committee Member. 08/2013 - present
  • New Media & Society. Peer reviewer. 06/2013 - present
  • Journal of Communication. Peer reviewer. 06/2013 - present
  • Communication Theory . Peer reviewer. 01/2013 - present
  • International Communication Association . Peer reviewer, Divisions of Global Communication and Social Change, Communication and Technology, Journalism Studies, and Mass Communication . 10/2010 - present
  • Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication . Peer reviewer, Division of Communicating Science, Health, Environment, Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group, Participatory Journalism Interest Group . 05/2010 - present

Internal Service

  • Chair, Department of Communication. 07/01/2021 - present. College service.
  • Executive Committee (interim). Committee Member, 08/2019 - 07/2020. Department service.
  • Associate Chair. 07/01/2019 - 07/01/2021. Department service.
  • Associate Chair. 07/01/2019 - 07/01/2021. Department service.
  • University Center for Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research, Research Co-Coordinator. 01/01/2019 - present. University service.
  • Chair, Society of Professional Journalists. 01/01/2019 - 07/01/2021. College service.
  • Student Media Advisor. 01/2018 - present. University service.
  • Humanities Scholar Faculty. 01/2018 - present. College service.
  • Graduate and Undergraduate Research Mentor (GURU). 01/2018 - present. University service.
  • Graduate and Undergraduate Researchers of UCEER Disabilities Mentor, *National Institutes of Health funded. 01/01/2018 - present. University service.
  • Student Media Advisor. 01/2017 - present. University service.
  • Ad Hoc Undergraduate Journalism Sequence Curriculum Committee (overhaul). 01/2017 - present. Department service.
  • Academic Senate Representative . 01/2017 - present. University service.
  • Annual Awards Committee Member (chair). 01/2017 - present. Department service.
  • Humanities Scholar (lecturer). 01/2017 - present. College service.
  • Undergraduate Journalism Sequence Coordinator. 01/2017 - 01/2020. Department service.
  • Journalism Sequence Coordinator. 08/2016 - present. Department service.
  • Student Media Council. Voting member, 08/2016 - present. University service.
  • Humanities Scholar. Teaching faculty, 01/2016 - present. College service.
  • Undergraduate Journalism Sequence Coordinator. 01/2016 - 08/2019. Department service.
  • Dean of the College of Humanities Roadmap Committee, 2015-present. Member, 01/2015 - present. College service.
  • Humanities Scholars, College of Humanities, 2015-present. Member, 01/2015 - present. Department service.
  • Faculty Advisory Committee Member, 2014-present. Member, 01/2015 - present. University service.
  • Peer Teaching Committee. Member, 08/2014 - present. Department service.
  • University Publishing Committee. Member, 08/2014 - 08/2016. University service.
  • Academic Senate . Representative, 08/2014 - 08/2016. University service.
  • Graduate Committee. Member, 08/2014 - 08/2016. Department service.
  • Awards Committee, Department of Communications, The University of Utah. Committee Member, 01/2014 - present. Department service.
  • Parry D. Sorensen Public Relations Society, College of Humanities, The University of Utah. Faculty member, 01/2014 - present. College service.
  • Faculty Learning Community (FLC, Creative), Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE), The University of Utah. Faculty member, 12/2013 - present. University service.
  • Lab Director and Co-Founder, Networked Health Lab, The University of Utah. Director and co-founder, 11/2013 - present. Department service.
  • UP Initiative: A collaboration between Parade Magazine and The University of Utah . Lead Mentor, 11/2013 - present. Department service.
  • Teaching Assistant Scholar Mentor, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE), The University of Utah . Teaching Assistant Scholar Mentor, 10/2013 - present. University service.
  • Digital Media Group. Faculty liasion , 09/2013 - present. University service.

Honors & Awards

  • Utah Center for Excellence in Legal, Ethical, and Social Implications Research, National Institutes of Health and National Human Genome Research Institute, RM1 funding to support center with research focused on issues relevant to population screening for genetic conditions including effective traditional and social media communication and digital community construction, (co-Investigator and Research Co-Coordinator with Project-Lead Jeffrey Botkin, University of Utah), $3,870,000 for second round of funding through 2024. Utah Center for Excellence in Legal, Ethical, and Social Implications Research, 01/2020
  • Addressing Anemia and Iron in India, Funding to support research and intervention focused on social media and iron uptake in India and similar countries, (co-Primary Investigator with co-Primary Investigators Nadia Diamond-Smith, University of California-San Francisco), $450,000. 2018-2020. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 01/2020
  • Vice-President’s Clinical and Translational Research (VPCAT) Scholar, University of Utah. 2018-2020. 01/2020
  • Utah Center for Excellence in Legal, Ethical, and Social Implications Research, National Institutes of Health and National Human Genome Research Institute, RM1 funding to support center with research focused on issues relevant to population screening for genetic conditions including effective traditional and social media communication and digital community construction, (co-Investigator and Research Co-Coordinator with Project-Lead Jeffrey Botkin, University of Utah), $3,980,000 . 12/2019
  • National Endowment for the Humanities Pilot Grant, University of Utah, Funding to support course releases to promote research into the use of artificial intelligence in US and Canadian newsrooms. Primary Investigator, $10,000 . 10/2019
  • Top Faculty Paper, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Scholastic Journalism Division . 08/2019
  • Kickstarter Grant, University of Utah, Funding to support research into new applications in US newsrooms centered around artificial intelligence. Primary Investigator, $6,000 . 07/2019
  • Digital Journalism Research Fellow, Oslo Metropolitan University. 03/2019
  • Rising Star in the Humanities Award for distinguished research in the humanities. College of Humanities, University of Utah., 09/2018
  • Top Faculty Paper (3rd Place-tie). Newspaper and Online News Division. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, 08/2018
  • Second Top Faculty Paper (3rd place tie). Newspaper and Online News Division. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, 08/2018
  • Summer fellowship to research artificial intelligence and health communication in areas of cancer and genetics. National Humanities Center , 06/2018
  • First Humanities Scholar selected to university fellows program promoting and supporting interdisciplinary, transformative research in the areas of health, communication, and social science. Vice-President’s Clinical and Translational Research (VPCAT) Scholar , 01/2018
  • Top 10 Digital and Social Media Paper of 2017 . Harvard's Nieman Lab, 01/2018
  • First Humanities Scholar selected to the Vice-President’s Clinical and Translational Research (VPCAT) Scholar Program, which supports scholars in their efforts to receive national funding and research support. Vice-President’s Clinical and Translational Research, 12/2017
  • Research selected from international pool as Top 10 Paper In Digital and Social Media Research. Harvard Nieman Lab, 12/2017
  • 2016 Top Faculty Paper. Disabilities Studies Caucus. National Communication Association, 11/2016
  • 2016 Top Faculty Paper (2nd Place). Newspaper and Online News Division. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, 08/2016

In the Media