Jennifer Kam

Professor and Communication Department Vice Chair

Dr. Jennifer Kam is Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Communication at UCSB and a Faculty Affiliate with the Chicano Studies Institute and the Migration Initiative at UCSB. She also directs the Division of Social Sciences Faculty Mentoring Program. Dr. Kam has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles in leading communication, prevention, and adolescent journals. She has presented more than 60 papers at national and international conferences, earning 15 top paper awards. A former Chair of the Health Communication Division at the National Communication Association, she has received the 2016 Early Career Award, the 2022 Promoting Equity and Inclusivity Award, and a 2023 Presidential Citation for her contributions to community- and culturally-centered communication. Dr. Kam is on the editorial boards of several major journals and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in risk, intercultural, and interpersonal communication. She earned her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in 2009, her M.A. from San Diego State University in 2004, and her B.A. from the University of California, Davis in 2002.