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Kristine L. Nowak
Department Head and Associate Professor
Department of Communication
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1259
EDUCATION
Michigan State University, Ph.D., Telecommunication, 2000.
Dissertation: The influence of anthropomorphism on mental models of agents and avatars in social
virtual environments. Advisor: Frank Biocca
Stanford University, M.A., Mass Media Studies, 1996. Advisor: Stephen Chaffee
San Jose State University, B.A., Political Science, 1992.
ACADEMIC EMPLOYMENT
Founding Department Head and Associate Professor, Department of
Communication, University of Connecticut. 2012-2015.
Appointed interim Head and played a central role in the creation of the current Department of
Communication. During my time as head, we became a department and expanded our support staff
while recruiting and hiring 6 stellar tenure track faculty members, and 3 Assistant Professors in
Residence. Under my leadership, the department established new bylaws and a collegial working
environment, and moved to a newly renovated building. We turned a small program with about 300
majors into one of the largest majors in the college with close to 1000 majors, while increasing the number
of seats in Communication courses from 2000 to over 4000 per year. We also expanded the internship
program, began outreach programs to alumni, and increased access to travel and research support for
faculty and graduate students. As a result of these efforts, the department strengthened its standing and
gained status as an independent academic department and enhanced its contribution to the university’s
mission. I led the department through a successful transformation into a full member of the Social
Sciences Division of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Section Head and Associate Professor, Communication Program, Department of
Communication Sciences. 2010-2012.
Laid groundwork to create new Department of Communication. Established new undergraduate and
graduate programs.
Associate Professor, Department of Communication Sciences, University of
Connecticut. August 2008-2010.
Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Sciences, University of
Connecticut. August 2002-May 2008.
PUBLICATIONS
Refereed Journal Articles
Bellur, S., Nowak, K. L., & Hull, K. (Accepted May 2015). Make it Our Time: In Class
Multitaskers Have Lower Academic Performance. Computers in Human Behavior.
Nowak, K. L., Fox, J., & Ranjit, Y. (Accepted. April 2015). Sexism and Online
Perceptions of Female Virtual Representations. Journal of Computer Mediated
Communication.
Nowak, K. L., & McGloin, R. (2014). The Influence of Peer Reviews on Source
Credibility and Purchase Intention. Societies, 4, 689-705; doi: 10.3390/soc4040689.
McGloin, R., Nowak, K. L., & Watt, J. (2014). Avatars and Expectations: Influencing
Perceptions of Trustworthiness in an Online Consumer Setting. PsychNology. 1(12), 7-28.
Nowak, K. L., & Gomes, S. (2014). The Choices People Make: The Types of Buddy
Icons People Select for Self Presentation Online. AI & Society. 29(4). 485-495. doi:
10.1007/s00146-013-0501-z.
Nowak, K. L. (2013). Choosing Buddy Icons that Look Like Me or Represent My
Personality: Using Buddy Icons for Self Presence. Computers in Human Behavior.
29. 1456-1464. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2013.01.027.
Hamilton, M. A. & Nowak, K. L. (2010). Advancing a Model of Avatar Evaluation and
Selection. PsychNology Journal, 8(1), 33-65.
Nowak, K. L., Hamilton, M. A., Atkin, D., & Rauh, C. (2010). Uses of the Internet by
college students: Implications for political involvement. American Journal of Media
Psychology. 3(1), 5-31.
Nowak, K. L., Watt, J., & Walther, J. (2009). Computer mediated teamwork and the
efficiency framework: Exploring the influence of synchrony and cues on media
satisfaction and outcome success. Computers in Human Behavior. 25(5), 11081119. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2009.05.006.
Nowak, K. L., Hamilton, M. A., & Hammond, C. (2009). The Effect of Image Features
on Judgments of Homophily, Credibility, and Intention to Use Avatars in Future
Interactions. Media Psychology. 12(1), 50-76. doi: 10.1080/15213260802669433.
Nowak, K. L., Krcmar, M., & Farrar, K. (2008). The Causes and Consequences of
Presence: Considering the Influence of Violent Video Games on Presence and
Aggression. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 17(3). doi:
10.1162/pres.17.3.256.
Nowak, K. L., & Rauh, C. (2008). Choose your “buddy icon” carefully: The influence of
avatar androgyny, anthropomorphism and credibility in online interactions.
Computers in Human Behavior, 24(4), 1473-1493. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2007.05.005.
Cornetto, K. & Nowak, K. L. (2006). Using Usernames for Sex Categorization in
Computer-Mediated Communication: Examining Perceptions and Accuracy.
Cyberpsychology and Behavior. 9(4), 377-387. doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9.377.
Farrar, K., Krcmar, M., & Nowak, K. L. (2006). Contextual features of violent video
games, mental models and aggression. Journal of Communication. 6(2) 387-405.
doi: 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00025.x {*Cited over 100 times.}
Nowak, K. L. & Rauh, C. (2005). The influence of the avatar on online perceptions of
anthropomorphism, androgyny, credibility, homophily, and attraction. Journal of
Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(1), 153-178. doi: 10.1111/j.10836101.2006.tb00308.x. {*Cited over 200 times.}
Hamilton, M. A., & Nowak, K. L. (2005). Information Systems Concepts Across Two
Decades: An Empirical Analysis of Trends in Theory, Methods, Process, and
Research Domains. Journal of Communication, 55(3), 529-553. doi:
10.1111/j.1460-2466.2005.tb02684.x
Nowak, K. L., Watt, J., & Walther, J. B. (2005). The influence of synchrony and sensory
modality on the person perception process in computer-mediated groups. Journal
of Computer-Mediated Communication, 10(3), article 3. doi: 10.1111/j.10836101.2005.tb00251.x.
Nowak, K. L. (2004). The Influence of Anthropomorphism and Agency on Social
Judgment in Virtual Environments. Journal of Computer Mediated
Communication, 9(2), doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2004.tb00284.x. {*Cited 100
times.}
Nowak, K. L. (2003) Sex Categorization in CMC: Exploring the Utopian Promise.
Media Psychology. 5(1). 83-104. doi: 10.1162/105474603322761289.
Nowak, K. L. & Biocca, F. (2003). The effect of the agency and anthropomorphism on
users' sense of telepresence, copresence, and social presence in virtual
environments. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 12(5), 481-494.
MIT Press. doi: 10.1162/105474603322761289. {*Cited over 300 times.}
Book Chapters
Nowak, K. L. (2015). Examining Perception and Identification in Avatar Mediated
Interaction. In S.S. Sundar (Ed.), In The Handbook of the Psychology of
Communication Technology (pp. 89-114). Wiley-Blackwell: Hoboken, NJ, USA.
Biocca, F. & Nowak, K. L. (2002). Plugging your body into the telecommunication
system: Mediated Embodiment, Media Interfaces, and Social Virtual Environments.
In C. Lin & D. Atkin (Eds.), Communication Technology and Society (pp. 407447). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Biocca, F., Cakmakci, O., Czischke, J., DeVries, J., Huang, H., Kind, K., Nowak, K. L.,
& Witt, M. (1998). Virtual Reality: Virtual environments, avatars, and
anthropomorphic agents. In A. Grant (Ed.), Communication Technology Update
(6th ed.): Butterworth-Heinemann.
Published Conference Proceedings
Nowak, K. L. & Gomes, S. (October, 2011). Choosing Buddy Icons that Look Like me
or Represent My Personality: Examining the effect of the Appearance and
Psychological Homophily of Buddy Icons on Social Presence. Proceedings of the
14th International Workshop on Presence. Edinburgh, Scotland. Top Paper Award.
McGloin, R., Nowak, K. L., Stifano, S., & Flynn, M. (November, 2009). The Effect of
Avatar categorization on Perceptions of Source and Text Credibility. Proceedings
of the 12th International Workshop on Presence. Los Angeles, CA.
Hamilton, M. A., & Nowak, K. L. (November, 2009). The Role of Realism and
Anthropomorphism in the Selection of Avatars. Proceedings of the 12th
International Workshop on Presence. Los Angeles, CA.
Nowak, K. L. (2008). Presence with anthropomorphic and realistic avatars. Proceedings
of the 11th International Workshop on Presence. Padua, Italy.
Nowak, K. L., Hamilton, M. A., Hammond, C., (October, 2008). The Effect of Viewer
Perceptions of Avatar Anthropomorphism and Realism on Judgments of
Credibility and Homophily, and Avatar Choice. Proceedings of the 11th
International Workshop on Presence. Padua, Italy.
Nowak, K. L., Krcmar, M., & Farrar, K. (August, 2006) Examining the relationship
between violent video games, presence, and aggression. Proceedings of the 9th
International Workshop on Presence. Cleveland, OH.
Nowak, K. L., Watt, J., & Walther, J. (2004, January). Contrasting Time Mode and
Sensory Modality in the Performance of Computer Mediated Groups. Proceedings
of the Thirty-Seventh Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Kona,
HI. Published by IEEE Computer Society.
Watt, J., Walther, J., & Nowak, K. L. (2002, January). Asynchronous Videoconferencing:
A Hybrid Communication Prototype. Proceedings of the Thirty-Fifth Hawaii
International Conference on System Sciences. Kona, HI. Published by IEEE
Computer Society.
Nowak, K. L. & Biocca, F. (2001, May). The Influence of Agency and the Virtual Body
on Presence, Social Presence and Copresence in a Computer Mediated Interaction.
Proceedings of the 2001 International Workshop on Presence. Philadelphia, PA
Nowak, K. L. (2001, May). Conceptualizing and Differentiating Copresence and Social
Presence. Proceedings of the 2001 International Workshop on Presence.
Philadelphia, PA.
Encyclopedia Entries
Nowak, K. L. & Denes, A. (2015 in Press). Androgyny. In Nancy Naples (Ed.), The
Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Biocca, F., Nowak, K. L., & Lauria, R. (1997). Virtual Reality. In C. H. Sterling (Ed.),
Focal Encyclopedia of Electronic Media. Boston: Focal Press.
Conference Papers and Presentations
Nowak, K. L. (2015). Digital Bodies. Beyond the Pixels: A Look at Digital Games. PreConference to the International Communication Association Annual Conference,
San Juan, Puerto Rico. May 2015.
Watt, J., Hamilton, M.A., Nowak, K. L., & Christensen, J. (2015). Can you really teach
THAT with a game? A case study in design and evaluation of a serious game to teach statistical
reasoning. To be presented at the International Communication Association Annual
Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico. May 2015.
Nowak, K. L., Hamilton, M. A., Hull, K., & Bellur, S. (2015). Are virtual embodiments
perceived distinctly from sources? The bifurcation of visual and verbal processing during viewer
evaluation of online messages. To be presented at the International Communication
Association Annual Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico. May 2015.
Ranjit, Y., Nowak, K. L., & Fox, J. (2014). Perceived Self-Expertise and its Influence on Source
Expertise and Message Clarity in Online Communication. Presented at the National
Communication Association Annual Convention. Chicago, IL. November 2014.
Bellur, S., Nowak, K. L., & Hull, K. (2014). Take Your Time: In Class Multitaskers Require
More Time Studying to Maintain Academic Performance. Paper presented at the National
Communication Association Annual Convention. Chicago, IL. November 2014.
Top paper award in Human Communication Technology Division.
Nowak, K. L., Watt, J., & Walther, J. B. (2014). The influence of synchrony and sensory modality
on the person perception process in computer-mediated groups. Presented at the Modern
Modeling Methods (M3) Conference. Storrs, CT. May 2014.
Nowak, K. L., Fox, J, & Ranjit, Y. (2014). Examining the Role of Sexism in Perceptions of
Female Virtual Representations. Presented at the International Communication
Association Annual Conference. Seattle, WA. May 2014.
McGloin, R., Nowak, K. L., & Watt, J. (2013). Avatars and Expectations: Influencing
Perceptions in an Online Consumer Setting. Presented at the International
Communication Association Annual Conference. London, UK. June 2013.
Hamilton, M. A. & Nowak, K. L. (2013). Mapping Visual Semantic Space: Avatars as Creative
Self Expression on a Thumbnail Canvas. Presented at the National Communication
Association Annual Convention. Washington, DC. November 2013.
McGloin, R. & Nowak, K. L. (2011). Using Expectancy Violations Theory to Explain the Effect
of Avatars on Purchase Intention and the Uncanny Valley. Presented at the International
Communication Association Annual Conference. Boston, MA. May 2011.
Nowak, K. L., Pandžić, I., Zorić, G., Šmid, K., Grundnig, S., Petri, T., Polzer, C.,
Sträfling, N., Krämer, N., Trepte, S., Reinecke, L., & Behr, K. (2008). The Psychology
of Avatars: Real Life Effects of Virtual Communication. Panel discussion at the 11th
International Workshop on Presence, Padua, Italy. October 2008.
Hamilton, M. A. & Nowak, K. L. (2008). Identity, Social Contact, and Motivation as
Antecedents to Media Choice. Presented at the National Communication Association
Annual Convention. San Diego, CA. November 2008.
Nowak, K. L., (2007). Doing research with avatars: Current trends, predictions and warnings. Paper
presented at the International Communication Association Annual Conference. San
Francisco, CA. May 2007.
Nowak, K. L., Hamilton, M. A., Hammond, C., & Krishnan, A. (2007). The characteristics
that influence avatar perception Defining and differentiating anthropomorphism and realism.
Paper presented at the International Communication Association Annual
Conference. San Francisco, CA. May 2007.
Nowak, K. L., Atkin, D., Rauh, C., & Hamilton, M. A. (2006). Uses of the Internet by college
students: Implications for political involvement. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. San Francisco,
CA. September 2006.
Nowak, K. L. & Rauh, C. (2005). The influence of the avatar on online perceptions of
anthropomorphism, androgyny, credibility, homophily and attraction. Presented at the
National Communication Association Annual Convention. Boston, MA.
November 2005.
Nowak, K. L., Watt, J., & Walther, J. (2005) Examining the influence of synchrony and number of
cues on medium perception and the performance of computer mediated groups. Presented at the
National Communication Association Annual Convention. Boston, MA.
November 2005.
Farrar, K., Krcmar, M., Ellis, D. & Nowak, K. L. (2005) Contextual features of violent video
games, mental models and aggression. Presented at the National Communication
Association Annual Convention. Boston, MA. November 2005.
Nowak, K. L., Krcmar, M., Farrar, K. (2005). Violent Video Games and their Effect on
Presence and Aggression. Presented at the National Communication Association
Annual Convention. Boston, MA. November 2005.
Nowak, K. L. & Rauh, C. (2004). Examining the influence of interaction goals on interface and
person perception in text based CMC. Paper presented at the International
Communication Association Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA. June 2004.
Nowak, K. L., Watt, J., & Walther, J. (2004) Examining the influence of synchrony and number of
cues on person perception in computer mediated groups. Paper presented at the International
Communication Association Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA. June 2004.
Cope-Farrar, K., Krcmar, M., & Nowak, K. L. (2004). The General Affective Aggression
Model: Explaining the Effects of Point of View and Blood in Violent Video Games. Paper
presented at the International Communication Association Annual Conference.
New Orleans, LA. June 2004.
Nowak, K. L. & Watt, J. (2003). Examining Group Performance and Interaction Satisfaction in
Asynchronous Videoconferencing versus Face-to-Face Communication. Paper presented at the
International Communication Association Annual Conference. San Diego, CA.
June 2003.
Nowak, K. L. & Krcmar, M. (2003). Improving computer efficacy and perceptions of technology
related careers in the classroom: A case study. Paper presented at the International
Communication Association Annual Conference. San Diego, CA. June 2003.
Cornetto, K. & Nowak, K. L. (2003). Utilizing Usernames for Sex Categorization in CMC:
Examining Perceptions and Accuracy. Paper presented at the International
Communication Association Annual Conference. San Diego, CA. June 2003.
Nowak, K. L. (2002). Conceptualizing, Differentiating and Measuring Copresence and Social
Presence. Panel presented at the International Communication Association Annual
Conference. Seoul, Korea. June 2002.
Kalnova, S., & Nowak, K. L. (2001) Personalizing Online Advertising; Considering the Influence
of User’s Goals. Paper presented at the Experiential E-Commerce Conference. East
Lansing, MI. September 2001.
Nowak, K. L. (2001). The Influence of Anthropomorphism on Social Judgment in Social Virtual
Environments. Paper presented at the International Communication Association
Annual Conference. Washington, DC. May 2001.
Nowak, K. L. (2001). The Influence of Agency on Social Judgment in Social Virtual Environments.
Paper presented at the International Communication Association Annual
Conference. Washington, DC. May 2001.
Nowak, K. L. (2001). Academic Interviewing: Advice to Graduate Students. Panel presented at
the International Communication Association Annual Conference. Washington,
DC. May 2001.
Eastin, M. S., Nowak, K. L., & Whitten, P. (2000). Integrating Chatroom Technology in a Large
Classroom Setting: A Case Study assessing application, use, and implications. Paper presented
at the National Communication Association Annual Convention. Seattle, WA.
November 2000.
Nowak, K. L. (2000) Categorizing and Creating a Mental Model of Others in Social Virtual
Environments. Paper presented at the International Communication Association
Annual Conference. Acapulco, Mexico. June 2000.
Nowak, K. L., & Anderson, T. (2000). Sex Categorization in CMC: Exploring the Utopian
Promise. Paper presented at the International Communication Association Annual
Conference. Acapulco, Mexico. June 2000.
Nowak, K. L., & Biocca, F. (1999, August). I Think There Is Someone Else Here With Me!:
The Role of the Virtual Body in the Sensation of Co-presence with Other Humans and Artificial
Intelligences in Advanced Virtual Environments. Paper presented at the Cognitive
Technology Conference. San Francisco, CA. August 1999.
Nowak, K. L., & Anderson, T. (May). Communicating Emotions in CMC: In search of a
Sufficiency Threshold. Paper presented at the International Communication
Association Annual Conference. San Francisco, CA. May 1999.
Biocca, F., & Nowak, K. L. (1999). I feel as if I’m here, inside the computer: Toward a theory of
presence in Advanced Virtual Environments. Paper presented at the International
Communication Association Annual Conference. San Francisco, CA. May 1999.
Biocca, F., & Nowak, K. L. (1999). Communication and Progressive Embodiment in Virtual
Environments. Paper presented at the International Communication Association
Annual Conference. San Francisco, CA. May 1999.
Nowak, K. L. (1998). Interpersonal Communication Research on Virtual Humans (Agents &
Avatars) in 3D Virtual Environments. Presented at the National Communication
Association Annual Convention. New York, NY. November 1998.
Nowak, K. L. (1998). Women's Historical Contribution to Journalism Education as seen in Emery's
The Press and America. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for
Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Baltimore, MD. August 1998.
Biocca, F., and Nowak, K. L. (1997). Communication Needs for Virtual Humans. Presented at
Virtual Humans II. Los Angeles, CA. June 1997.
Nowak, K. L. (1997). Audio, visual and audio-visual processing of political ads; The difference is a
function of modality. Paper presented at the International Communication Association
Annual Conference, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. June 1997.
GRANTS & CONSULTING
 The Impact of Neurodiversity and Autism on Information Processing of Online Information.
Google's Research Awards Program in the Human-computer interaction topic.
PI: K. L. Nowak. Submitted April 2015. Amount: $55,000.
 Development of a Gesture-Based Virtual Reality System for Research in Virtual
Worlds. Grant funded by the National Science Foundation’s Major Research
Instrumentation Program. PI: Horea Iles. Co- Investigators: Kazem Kazerounian,
Kerry Marsh, Kristine Nowak, and Amy Anderson. Funded 2009-2014. Total Award:
$1,117,198.
 SimCoach Project. Institute for Creative Technology. University of Southern California.
2009-2011. HCI Avatar Consultant: K. L. Nowak.
 Understanding the influence of the virtual image on person perception in mediated interactions; a
proposal for designing stimulus materials for a series of pilot studies. University of Connecticut
Research Foundation. Primary Investigator. Amount: $15,716. Funded 2003-2004.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
I have taught for over 20 years at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Principal
areas of instruction include New Communication Technology, Computer Mediated
Communication, Media Literacy, Mass Media Effects, Media Theory, and Research
Design and Methods. Courses taught include:
University of Connecticut
Undergraduate Teaching
 Mass Media Systems (Comm 1300)
 Introduction to Communication Technology (Comm 3600)
 Computer Mediated Communication (Comm 4660)
 Human Computer Interaction (Comm 4992)
Graduate Teaching
 Computer Mediated Communication (Comm 5660)
 Theory Construction and Research Design (Comm 5010).
Michigan State University
 Understanding Media in the Information Age (TC 101)
 Introduction to Media and Information Technology (TC 201),
 Effects of Mass Communication. (COM 275)
DEPARTMENT & UNIVERSITY SERVICE
Department of Communication Sciences, University of Connecticut
 Section Head, Communication Program, Department of Communication Sciences,
2010-2012.
 Director of Undergraduate Studies, Communication Program, Department of
Communication Sciences, 2009-2010.
 Graduate Admissions Committee, member, Department of Communication
Sciences, 2000-2013.
 Graduate Studies Committee, member, Department of Communication Sciences,
2005-2010.
Department of Communication, University of Connecticut
 Founding Department Chair, 2012-present.
 Faculty Search Committee, chair, Department of Communication. Chaired search
committees for 4 new tenure track faculty hires between 2012 and 2013.
 APIR Search Committee, chair, Department of Communication. Chaired committee
that hired 3 Assistant Professors in Residence, 2012-2013.
 Faculty Search Committee, member, Department of Communication. Participated in
search for new tenure track faculty member, 2014.
 Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, Executive Board member, 2013-Present.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS & SERVICE
International Communication Association, Board of Directors, 2000-2002.
International Communication Association, Member, 1996-present.
National Communication Association, Member, 1998- present.
International Society of Presence Researchers, Member, 2000-present.
PEACH (Presence Research in Action) Coordination Action. Working Group Member.
2006-2012.
CIDRIS (UConn’s Center for Internet Data Research and Intelligence Services),
Research Fellow, 2005-2007.
Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, Editorial Board Member, 2007-Present.
Ad hoc Reviewer: Communication Research, Communication Yearbook, Journal of Computer
Mediated Communication, Human Communication Research, Media Psychology, Journal of
Communication, Computers in Human Behavior, Presence, American Journal of Media Psychology,
Communication Theory, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Transactions on Human
Computer Interaction, Information Systems Research.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH & SERVICE
President’s Circle -Windham Hospital, Mansfield, CT, 2013-2015.
Transportation committee -Town of Mansfield, 2014-Present.
Downtown Partnership - Town of Mansfield, 2010-Present.
Community Children’s Center Board of Directors, Member and Secretary, Mansfield,
CT, 2005-2007.
SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS
Top Paper Award, Human Communication and Technology Division. National
Communication Association, 2014.
Top Paper Award, International Association of Presence Researchers, 2011.
Outstanding Professor of the Year, Sigma Phi Epsilon, University of Connecticut, 2000.
Communication and Technology’s 5th Biannual Herb Dordick Dissertation Award,
International Communication Association, 2001.
Dissertation Fellowship, College of Communication, Michigan State University, 2000.
Top Student Paper Award, Information Systems Division, International Communication
Association, 1999.
Top Student Paper Award, Political Communication Division, International
Communication Association, 1997.