Education

B.F.A., Digital Art, Kansas State University
M.F.A., Digital Art, Louisiana State University
M.A., Media Arts & Sciences, Indiana University
Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of Georgia

Background

Prior to joining the University of South Carolina, Haley Hatfield was a research fellow for the Center for Children’s Health Assessment, Research Translation, and Combating Environmental Risk (CHARTER), one of six NIEHS-funded collaborative centers in the Children’s Environmental Health Network.

Awards

• Top Paper Abstract – February 2023 | Midwinter AEJMC Conference, Mass Communication & Society Division
• Top Student Paper - May 2022 | International Communications Association Conference, Information Systems Division
• Top Paper – November 2021 | National Communication Association Convention, Human Communication & Technology Division

Research

Hatfield’s research focuses on how virtual environments can be used to support education, communication, and youth engagement. Through community collaboration and immersive media design, she creates interactive experiences that encourage exploration, learning, and public understanding of topics such as environmental health.

Teaching

Hatfield’s courses emphasize creating experiences that capture a multitude of perspectives. Leveraging their expertise in virtual reality and immersive communication, Hatfield encourages students to push the boundaries of visual storytelling and digital innovation. Hatfield’s visual communication courses are grounded in fostering a critical mindset for inclusive and ethical design principles. This approach supports exploration and collaboration, thereby preparing students for the constantly changing landscape of digital visual communication.

Recent Publications

Hatfield, H. R., Mutic, A., Barnes, M., Smith, G., & Ahn, S. J. G. (2024). Translating children’s environmental health science using virtual environments: A community-based participatory research approach. Environmental Justice. 

Pfeuffer, A., Hatfield, H. R., Evans, N., & Kim, J. (2024). Illegally beautiful? The role of trust and persuasion knowledge in online image manipulation disclosure effects. International Journal of Advertising, 1–22. 

Hatfield, H. R., Hao, H., Klein, M., Fu, Y., Zhang, K., Kim, J., Lee, J., Ahn, S. J. (2024). Composition of and Collaboration Among Communication Scholars in Twenty Years of ICA (1951-2022). Journal of Communication. jqae019.

Service

Hatfield serves as the 2024-25 Student & Early Career Representative for the Information Systems Division of the International Communication Association.

Personal

Born in Kansas, Haley’s academic pursuits have taken them from Manhattan, Kansas, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and then from Bloomington, Indiana, to Athens, Georgia. Now settling in Columbia, Haley and her spouse love cheering on their favorite college women’s basketball teams  — Go Gamecocks! They spend their weekends watching their nieces play softball, traveling and tending to their ever-growing collection of plants.