Greetings!

Welcome to my small space on the web. My name is Bradley Bond; I am a PhD student at the University of Illinois. My research investigates mass media effects. I am acutely interested in the way socially stigmatized groups use new media technologies for communication and how social minorities are portrayed in traditional screen media.

In my dissertation research, I examine the relationship between exposure to sexualized media and the emotional well-being of gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents. A survey of sexual minority teens (currently in progress) will be followed by a content analysis of the media that gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents report consuming most often. The prospectus for this dissertation was defended on  December 18, 2009. This research is being funded by the Acorn Equality Fund.

My research on the influence of media has been presented at the conferences and conventions of the National Communication Association, the International Communication Association, the Central States Communication Association, the American Psychological Association, and the Association of Internet Researchers. I have presented workshops at the Midwest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Allies College Conference and I will be an invited lecturer for the University of Illinois Office of Inclusive and Intercultural Relations lunch lecture series in the spring of 2010.

While a graduate student at Illinois, I have taught several courses in my area of research interest. In addition to teaching, I have experience in course development. I developed an upper-level undergraduate course on sex in the media and I am currently working with Dr. Dale Brashers on developing a groundbreaking sexual communication course that will survey the research on sex across the many sub-disciplines of communication studies.

For more information about my research agenda or my teaching experience, explore this website, download my CV, or email me at my university email address: bbond2@illinois.edu.

Cheers!