Francesca R. Dillman Carpentier, Ph.D.

Francesca R. Dillman Carpentier is the W. Horace Carter Distinguished Professor in the School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Much of her research lies within the broad area of media effects, most often focusing on how little pieces of media messages can slip under our radar and affect our thoughts, beliefs, and actions in small but significant ways, often without our express knowledge. She also studies what attracts people to certain media content, and how those media choices circle back and intensify the effects the media can have on thoughts and feelings. Her work can be found in academic journals across communication, psychology, and public health. In her spare time, Francesca raises a precocious daughter who loves to make her own entertaining videos and sometimes helps her mom produce videos for local charities.

For more about Dr. Carpentier’s and her work, please visit the UNC website.

Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D.

Dr. Fredrickson is the Kenan Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.  She earned her doctorate in psychology at Stanford University. Her current work focuses on emotions, well-being, and positive psychology. She is the director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Lab (PEP Lab) at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Identified in 2015 by Psychology and Mind as one of the “12 Most Influential Psychologists of Today,” Dr. Fredrickson is author to over 50 peer-reviewed articles and several books, including Positivity and Love 2.0.

For more more about Dr. Fredrickson and her work, please visit the PEP Lab’s website.

Jessica Gall Myrick, Ph.D.

Jessica Gall Myrick is an associate professor of Media Studies in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. Her research investigates the interplay of emotion and cognition in shaping audience responses to messages, particularly to messages that touch on aspects of health, science, or the environment and policies related to them. Myrick received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2013 and has since published more than 40 peer-reviewed academic articles and a solo-authored book on the psychological effects of media. The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication has recognized her as an Emerging Scholar in 2016 and as its Outstanding Junior Woman Scholar in 2017. Her research has also been funded by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the National Institutes of Health.

For more about Dr. Myrick and her work, please visit her website.

Mary Beth Oliver, Ph.D.

Mary Beth Oliver is the Bellisario Professor of Media studies at Penn State in the Department of Film/Video & Media Studies. She also serves as the co-director of the Media Effects Research Lab. Her research focuses on media psychology and on social cognition and the media. Her recent publications on have appeared such journals as the Journal of Communication, Human Communication Research, and Communication Research, among others. She is former editor of Media Psychology and associate editor of the Journal of Communication, Communication Theory, and Journal of Media Psychology. She is co-editor on several books, including Media and Social Life, Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research, and The Sage Handbook of Media Processes and Effects. In 2014 she was elected as a fellow of the International Communication Association, in 2017 was awarded the Aubrey Fisher Mentorship Award from ICA, and in 2015 she began work as co-PI on a $1.9 million 3-year grant from the John Templeton Foundation to study inspiring media.

For more about Dr. Oliver and her work, please visit the Penn State website.

Dr. Douglas Gentile, Ph.D.

Dr. Gentile is an Associate Professor of Social Psychology at Iowa State University.

“I study what can be defined broadly as media effects. I am interested in both the positive and negative effects of media on children and adults, including media violence, video games, advertising, educational media, news/propaganda, virtual reality, and music. My research is necessarily interdisciplinary, drawing on the methodologies and strengths of developmental psychology, social psychology, medicine, communications, and journalism.”

In addition to national and international speaking appearances, Dr. Gentile is the editor of the book Media Violence and Children: A Complete Guide for Parents and Professionals, and the author of the book Violent Video game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy.

For more about Dr. Gentile and his work, please visit his website.

Dr. Stephen G. Post, Ph.D.

Dr. Post is a Professor of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University, and the Founding Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics (2008-Present). He has been quoted in more than 3,000 national and international newspapers and magazines and the primary author of over 200 peer-reviewed articles. Most related to Envision Kindness’ work, Dr. Post is the author of best-selling books The Hidden Gifts of Helping and Why Good Things Happen to Good People (with co-author Jill Neimark).

Find out more about Dr. Post and his work on his website.