Senior research fellow Heather Shoenberger co-leading AI research call

How will artificial intelligence shape the future of communication? At the forefront of this question is an expert in researching how public communication adapts to innovation and the Page Center’s newest senior research fellow, Heather Shoenberger.

Shoenberger is an associate professor of advertising/public relations at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State. Her research to date has focused on authenticity, consumer behavior and health communication. When it comes to artificial intelligence, specifically generative AI, Shoenberger is interested in how the technology makes certain tasks more efficient and the ethical challenges that go along with those benefits.

“At the core of my interest in AI is how it will change how we live, how we communicate, and what our society will look like in the future,” she said. “The most exciting part about this area of research is that it has the potential to be meaningful to society.”

Along with Fuyuan Shen, Donald P. Bellisario professor of advertising at the Bellisario College, Shoenberger is co-leading the Center’s 2025 call for research proposals. The purpose of the call is to identify projects that will develop research-based ethical guidelines for integrating AI into public communication and provide perspective for professionals to navigate challenges like misinformation or privacy concerns.

Shen and Shoenberger expect a wide range of proposals that address pressing issues related to generative AI. Communication fields like advertising, journalism, public relations and corporate communications have been and will be heavily impacted by AI technology. Funding will prioritize proposals that address one or more of the Page Principles. Scholars can submit proposals until Jan. 15, 2025

“We are at the precipice of change,” Shoenberger said. “This is a great opportunity to conduct research that has meaningful impact for how this technology can be woven into our daily lives to help us live better.”

The Page Center’s research call is part of its Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar grants program. Each year, the Center chooses one or more topics and solicits proposals from scholars around the world. Topics vary from year to year, but the goal stays the same: Support ethics-focused research that is timely, innovative and valuable to both those in academic and professional roles.

“I also look forward to working with Dr. Shen who is a leading advertising researcher,” Shoenberger said. “I am also very excited to be working with the Page Center as I believe my core research values are shared with the Center.”