Incoming student Siyuan Liu asks a question of instructors at the 2026 Future Lab by Sabrina Ho Envisioning the future is hard. Forecasters of the past predicted we’d all be behind the wheel in a flying car with a robot maid by now—but few imagined we’d have advanced artificial intelligence in our pockets. And it’s … Read more
by Sabrina Ho Jay Picard, Brand & Campaign Architect, explains important qualities to have as a storyteller The Monotony of Modern Storytelling If you’ve recently read something and caught yourself thinking, Did AI write this?, you’re not alone. For the first time in human creation, we have to ask ourselves if the media we are … Read more
Student Work Showcase & Awards Night Movies have the Oscars. Music has the Grammys. Comm Lead has Screen Summit. It’s time for Comm Lead’s annual year-end showcase and awards night! Each year at Screen Summit, students present their very best work from the academic year to classmates, colleagues, and a panel of industry judges who … Read more
by Sabrina Ho The communications field has never been static. But as businesses adopt AI into their comms and marketing workflows to increase performance, being adaptable as a communication professional is more important than ever. We aren’t only considering creative execution in our plans. We must account for the future in an age of geopolitical … Read more
Prepare, Connect, & Launch Career Month will bring together a series of career fairs, workshops, and networking opportunities designed to support Communication Leadership students and alumni in their internship and job search. From hands-on preparation sessions to employer-facing fairs and alumni networking events, Career Month 2026 is designed to help you approach your search strategically, … Read more
by Olivia Ding Todays AI breakthrough could lead to either mass flourishing or mass unemployment by 2030. So which will it be? The World Economic Forum’s January 2026 report lays out four dramatically different futures for work, each shaped by two variables: the pace of AI advancement and workforce readiness. In the “Supercharged Progress” scenario, … Read more
Film Series | Feb 20 to Mar 27, 2026 at Mary Gates Hall 389 (MGH 389) Explore powerful storytelling through new documentaries from four Northwest directors in a new screening and conversation series presented by UW Communication Leadership. Each event pairs a documentary screening with an in-depth, interactive conversation facilitated by Communication Leadership faculty member … Read more
by Olivia Ding Conversations between students and industry practitioners ran late into the evening, in classrooms last winter. By spring, students had polished their work and unveiled it to wowed audiences at Screen Summit. Summer brought the payoff: confident graduates landing at TikTok, Amazon, KUOW and beyond. Come fall, the orientation room at Mary Gates … Read more
by Olivia Ding Today’s storytellers need to be masters of multiple tools – and know when to use them. Ekin Yasin, PhD, introduces the Matt Chan Storytelling Award at Communication Leadership’s Screen Summit, recognizing outstanding student projects When we think of the greatest storytellers, they’re usually defined by their medium: Steven Spielberg as a film … Read more
by Olivia Ding When you scroll through LinkedIn, a pattern emerges among leading communication professionals. Content designers at Microsoft, product managers at Amazon, UX writers at emerging startups, data scientists at Fred Hutch — many share a common thread: they’ve built careers in a city where they can learn directly from the people creating tomorrow’s … Read more
by Olivia Ding Picture this: you’re scrolling through social media when you stumble across what looks like Coca-Cola’s heartwarming Christmas ad — complete with nostalgic red trucks rolling through snowy streets. But something feels off. The magic that made you pause for those holiday commercials as a kid? Gone. The AI-generated remake of their iconic … Read more
by Olivia Ding Jessica Partnow records an episode of Leading the Way with Associate Director Gretchen Ludwig and Assistant Director for Academic Services Heather Werckle In a world where attention spans are shrinking and schedules are packed tighter than ever, how can your message break through? The answer might be simpler than you think: meet … Read more
by Olivia Ding As trust in mainstream media erodes, a new breed of community-focused journalism jobs is emerging. Trust in media is at an all-time low. The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer shows that only 52% of people around the world trust the media to “do what is right.” Even worse, 67% believe news organizations care … Read more
The seduction and addiction of consuming Netflix content at 1.5x. Language preservation and identity. Political messaging and parasocial relationships. The joy of raising one’s voice in song with others. These topics and more are included in this collection of long-form essays produced in the Winter 2025 course Professional Long-form Writing & Platforms. These original pieces … Read more
A Consultancy project by Kevin Laird and Lori Cai helped the Museum of Flight design a groundbreaking exhibit with UX Research
by Richa Nevatia The academic year at the Communication Leadership program ended on an exceptional note with our annual Screen Summit, a showcase highlighting our students’ exceptional work. Every year, this celebration invites students to share projects they’ve done across three categories: Storytelling, Design and Strategy. This year’s theme was Impact, and our students did … Read more
commlead@uw.edu
206.543.6745
4101 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA
Book a Meeting
University of Washington
Department of Communication