On Thursday, April 2, 2026, Bob successfully defended his dissertation, “Coping with AI in the Workplace: Exploring Employee Attitudes and Behaviors in the Future of Work.” His research explores how employees are psychologically responding to the rapid integration of AI into their work environments.

The CIS community is proud to celebrate this incredible milestone!

Title: Coping with AI in the Workplace: Exploring Employee Attitudes and Behaviors in the Future of Work.

Abstract: The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into organizational systems is transforming employee job roles, work processes, and professional identities. While prior research emphasizes technological adoption and macroeconomic outcomes, less attention has been given to the psychological processes through which employees interpret and respond to AI-driven change.

Grounded on the transactional model of stress and coping, and informed by Conversation of Resources theory, this research conceptualizes AI adaptation as an evolving appraisal to the coping process.

Using a mixed-methods design, survey data from 305 white-collar employees in a Hawaiʻi-based health insurance health insurance technology organization were analyzed alongside 20 semi-structured interviews.

Quantitative regression analyses indicate that opportunity appraisal and AI self-efficacy significantly predict approach coping, whereas threat appraisal predicts avoidance coping. Social support strengthens coping engagement, while perceived organizational support functions primarily as a distal contextual resource rather than a direct behavioral predictor.

Qualitative thematic analysis identifies seven themes elaborating cognitive appraisal, emotional regulation, identity negotiation, and resource activation processes. Integrated findings advance a multi-level, resource-layered coping framework linking appraisal, proximal and distal resources, coping strategies, and well-being outcomes.

The research extends coping theory to emerging technological contexts and provides theoretically grounded implications for designing psychologically supportive and sustainable AI implementation strategies.

Committee Members:

Dr. Scott Robertson – (Dissertation Chair)
Dr. Jenifer Winter – (Committee Member – COM)
Dr. Rich Gazan – (Committee Member – LIS)
Dr. Wayne Buente – (Committee Member – COM)
Dr. Hyoung-June Park (University Representative – ARCHITECTURE)

Lolita has been teaching in the Communication Program, where she has made a meaningful impact on her students through her dedication, care and teaching excellence. She will begin teaching in the Shidler College of Business this upcoming fall.

Lolita will be formally recognized at the 2026 Mānoa Awards Ceremony, taking place on May 5, 2026, from 3 to 4 p.m. at Kennedy Theatre.

Please join us in congratulating Lolita on this well-deserved achievement!

Title:
Folk Theories of Institutional Failure: What Comparing Journalism, Medicine, and Academia Reveals About American Cynicism

Abstract:
Journalism, medicine, and academia are rarely studied together, yet the American public increasingly views them in strikingly similar terms — as institutions tainted by the pursuit of profit. Drawing on 100 hour-long qualitative interviews with a diverse sample of American adults in 2025, this talk presents findings from an in-progress book that takes a deliberately cross-institutional approach to understanding public cynicism toward what we call “knowledge institutions”: professions that gather, synthesize, and present information for the public good. Our comparative design surfaces patterns that discipline-specific research tends to miss. Whereas scholarship on media trust, patient trust, and confidence in higher education typically proceeds in separate silos, our interviews reveal a shared folk theory — a common narrative people tell themselves about how the world works — that cuts across all three domains: that capitalism has subordinated these institutions’ public service missions to private financial interests. This cynicism is neither partisan nor conspiratorial; liberals, conservatives, and independents articulate it in remarkably similar ways. This talk discusses the value of interdisciplinary, qualitative, interview-based research for illuminating how people construct meaning across institutional contexts, and considers what these findings suggest for scholars and practitioners working within — and across — knowledge institutions.

Bio:
Seth C. Lewis is Professor and Shirley Papé Chair in Emerging Media in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon, where he is also Director of Journalism. In 2026, he will join the University of Virginia as the inaugural Elcan Jefferson Scholars Foundation Distinguished Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Media Studies.

His research examines the social implications of emerging technologies, with a current emphasis on what AI and human-machine communication mean for journalism, media work, and everyday life as well as how technology is reconfiguring trust, expertise, and authority. His research on these topics has led to two forthcoming books. Journalism in the Age of AI: From Acceleration to Reimagination (Polity Press, with Rodrigo Zamith and Tomás Dodds) offers a comprehensive account of AI and news. American Cynicism: Why We Distrust Journalism, Medicine, and Academia (MIT Press, with Jacob L. Nelson) draws from extensive interview-based research to illuminate the narratives people tell themselves about knowledge institutions.

He has held visiting positions at Oxford, Stanford, Columbia, and Yale, among other universities.

Title:
From Identity to Immersion: Designing Systems that Influence

Abstract:
Digital systems increasingly shape how we construct identity, experience immersion, and respond to information. This talk traces the evolution of my research from early studies on online identity and avatar customization to more recent work on immersive and participatory systems, including virtual reality, digital story-drawing, and VR-based escape room. Beginning with the question of how self-created digital identities influence information processing, my work has examined how customization activates agency and motivation within mediated environments. As technologies evolved, this line of inquiry expanded to immersive systems, exploring how embodiment, presence, and interactivity amplify psychological impact. More recently, I have investigated inclusion as a design principle, studying participatory digital storytelling, culturally responsive health communication systems, and immersive interventions such as VR escape rooms designed to foster critical engagement with misinformation. Across these projects, I argue that influence is not simply embedded in messages but is structured into the design of systems themselves. By examining identity activation, immersive affordances, and inclusion in digital environments, this talk proposes a framework for understanding how interdisciplinary approaches can shape the next generation of immersive systems.

Bio:
Youjeong Kim is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Information at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her research examines how digital identity, immersive media, and emerging technologies influence cognition and behavior. She has published extensively on avatar customization, virtual reality, AI-mediated communication, and persuasive systems in journals such as Computers in Human Behavior and Health Communication. Her recent work explores participatory digital storytelling, culturally responsive health communication systems, and VR-based misinformation interventions. She directs interdisciplinary projects that integrate system design, experimental research, and immersive media development.

Title: “Using Community Based Participatory Research, Actor-Network Theory, and Social Network Analysis to Explore Agency and Engagement Around Kaho’olawe in the Networked Publics of Instagram”

Abstract: Social media platforms have become an essential space for community engagement and yet, there is a gap in the literature at the intersection of Community Engagement Research and Social Media Research with regards to using the rich large-scale data sets provided by these platforms to examine and better understand small-scale engagement through a community-driven lens. Both the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission and the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana use Instagram as a primary means of online engagement with the greater community around Kaho’olawe. In a previous community-based needs assessment, both organizations identified the need to better understand the types of relationships and social phenomenon that exist in that space, how those online connections are influenced by the offline activities of the Kaho’olawe community, and how the platform can be better leveraged to advance the goals of restoring and revitalizing Kanaloa Kaho’olawe. This dissertation explored patterns of engagement exhibited by the Kaho‘olawe Community on Instagram. The use of hashtags by a sample of the Kaho‘olawe Community, and the patterns of engagement between and among members was examined through the lenses of Social Network Analysis, Actor-Network Theory, and Community Based Participatory Research. The results of the study found that the Kaho’olawe Community is not a single, bounded social group, but a layered, heterogeneous actor-network that crosses offline and online contexts. Community membership is enacted through multiple pathways that include physical access to the island as a volunteer with the KIRC or PKO, continued engagement with the KIRC and PKO beyond community access, self-declared alignment with the values and cultural practices related to Kaho’olawe, and digital engagement with the PKO and KIRC on the Instagram platform. Agency in both the offline and online spaces is established through practice, manifested as participation in huaka’i, ceremony, storytelling, and hashtag use. These results will be used by the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana and Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission to better serve Kaho‘olawe through social media communication. This work also contributes to the larger bodies of literature related to Community Engagement Research, Actor Network Theory, and Social Media Studies, by offering an example of using large-scale social media data to unpack small-scale community engagement.

Committee Members:
Dan Suthers, Chairperson
Rich Gazan
Scott Robertson
Patricia Amaral
Davianna McGregor, University Representative

Members of the CIS community joined the event to enjoy Mediterranean fare, bingo and conversation with colleagues from across SCI programs. The luncheon also coincided with the birthday of CIS faculty member Hye-ryeon Lee — happy birthday, Dr. Lee!

Several members of the CIS community participated in PTC’26. CIS faculty member Dr. Jenifer Winter presented at the conference, and CIS alumnus Dr. Dan Smith also participated as a presenter.

We are proud to see the CIS ʻohana represented at PTC!

In her memory, members of the CIS community gathered in Honolulu on December 14 to honor her life and share stories. Orr’s kindness touched many lives, and she will be remembered not only for her intellectual contributions, but for her compassion and kindness.

We extend our deepest condolences to Orr’s family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.

During the seminar, outgoing chair Dr. Dan Suthers offered thoughtful reflections on his time in the role. He spoke about the many committees he has chaired, the students he has mentored and his fond memories of CIS. He also shared a preview of the hikes he has planned for the future!

Dr. Rich Gazan introduced himself, sharing his research background and his longstanding connection to CIS. He expressed enthusiasm for leading the program into its next chapter and deep respect for Dr. Suthers’ leadership. Dr. Gazan also surprised Dr. Suthers with a chair plaque (complete with a matching plaque of his own),  symbolizing the passing of the role. After the seminar, the celebration continued at Ba-Le and Mānoa Gardens for drinks and conversation.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and Happy Holidays from CIS! We look forward to a wonderful 2026 together.

After the talk, attendees continued the conversation over drinks at Ba-Le/Mānoa Gardens. Mahalo to all who joined!

Title: Supporting Diverse Problem-Solving Styles in Understanding How to Contribute to Open Source

Abstract: Open Source Software (OSS) projects offer valuable opportunities for learning and collaboration, but often pose steep onboarding challenges for newcomers. This talk explores how individual problem-solving styles influence newcomers’ ability to understand contribution processes and how interventions tailored to newcomers’ problem-solving styles can make OSS participation more inclusive.

Bio: Dr. Italo Santos is an Assistant Professor (����Vlog�ٷ�M ICS). His research focuses on human aspects in software engineering, open-source software, and design evidence-based, theoretically driven interventions that positively impact students and future developers, empowering them to create innovative technologies and lead society toward a better future.