Biography
Kevin John was born in Orlando, Florida and then moved at a very young age to Alexandria, Virginia where he grew up. He received his bachelor’s degree at BYU in 2007, emphasizing in public relations. He also spent a great deal of time in the School of Communication’s Eye-Tracking Lab, under the instruction of Dr. Steven Thomsen. After an internship in Washington, D.C., Kevin returned to BYU to continue his education. He received his master’s degree in mass communication in 2009, and resumed the work he had started in the Eye-Tracking Lab. In 2011, Kevin was invited to return to the School to serve as Director of the Eye-Tracking Lab, and as an Adjunct Instructor.
After earning his masters degree, Kevin worked for Salt Lake City-based Waterford Institute as a Public Relations Coordinator. In 2015, he completed his PhD at the University of Utah, under Dr. Jakob D. Jensen, with an emphasis on health communication and applied statistics. During his stay up north, he spent a great deal of time in cross-disciplinary studies with the College of Nursing, working as a project coordinator for an NIH-funded R01 grant (P01CA138317) entitled Enhancing End-of-Life and Bereavement Outcomes among Cancer Caregivers – Partners in Hospice Care.
Kevin’s primary research line is in psychophysiological measures (like Eye-Tracking), with a slant toward health communication. Specifically, he has worked on studies optimizing alcohol warning messages for adolescents, enhancing skin self-examination training for individuals at risk for melanoma, and elucidating the challenges inherent in media coverage of health and science topics. In addition, Kevin is interested in media effects research, and the links between media consumption and emotional development and response.
In his free time, Kevin enjoys video games (they keep him young), photography, target shooting, listening to loud music, and motorcycle riding. He currently lives in Lehi, UT with his wife, Hillery, his daughters Quorra, Terra, and Ember, and his son Rex.
Education
- Doctorate of Philosophy, Health Communication , Applied Statistics, University of Utah (2015)
- Master of Arts, Mass Communication , Health Communication, Brigham Young University (2009)
- Bachelor of Arts, Public Relations , Brigham Young University (2007)
Honors and Awards
- Top Paper, Entertainment Studies Interest Group - Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (2021 - 2021)
- Top Paper, Health Communication Division - National Communication Association (2021 - 2021)
- Faculty Teaching Award (BYU Online), BYU Division of Continuing Education (2020 - 2020)
- Ruth S. Silver Fellowship, BYU School of Communications (2020 - 2020)
- Top Paper, Visual Communication Division - Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (2020 - 2020)
- Faith + Works Scholar, BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications (2019 - 2019)
- Excellence in Teaching Award, BYU College of Fine Arts & Communication (2018 - 2018)
- Raymond E. and Ida Lee Beckham Lecturer, BYU School of Communications (2018 - 2018)
- Top Paper, Visual Communication Division - National Communication Association (2018 - 2018)
- Top Student Paper, American Society of Preventive Oncology (ASPO) (2014 - 2014)
Memberships
- International Communication Association (ICA) (2016 - Present)
- National Communication Association (NCA) (2014 - Present)
- Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) (2013 - Present)
- Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) (2015 - 2018)
Professional Citizenship
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Communication in Healthcare (2022 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Communication Technology (2022 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (2022 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Computers in Human Behavior (2021 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Information, Communication and Society (2020 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Visual Cognition (2020 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine (2020 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine (2020 - Present)
- Officer (specify in Other), National Communication Association - Communication and the Future Division (2020 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Health Psychology (2019 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Communication Technology (2019 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Social Science & Medicine (2018 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, AEJMC Mid-Winter Conference, CTEC Division (2018 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Annals of Cognitive Science (2018 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, APHA: Health Communication & Technology Division (2018 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, APHA: Health Communication with Children and Adolescents Division (2018 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, APHA: Mass Media Influences on Health Behavior Division (2018 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Preventive Medicine (2018 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Tobacco Regulatory Science (2018 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, International Communication Association - Health Communication Division (2017 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, National Communication Association - Communication and the Future Division (2017 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, AEJMC - Communication and Technology Division (2017 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Health Communication (2017 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, National Communication Association - Communication and the Future Division (2017 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, National Communication Association - Interpersonal Communication Division (2016 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, International Communication Association - Visual Communication Division (2016 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Mass Communication and Society (2015 - Present)
- Other, National Communication Association - Interpersonal Communication Division (2015 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Western States Conference - Health Communication Interest Group (2015 - Present)
- Other, National Communication Association - Health Communication Division (2013 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, National Communication Association - Health Communication Division (2013 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Western Journal of Communication (2013 - Present)
- Officer (specify in Other), National Communication Association - Communication and the Future Division (2022 - 2023)
- Committee/Council Member, National Communication Association - Legislative Assembly (2021 - 2022)
- Officer (specify in Other), American Public Health Association - Health Communication Working Group (2017 - 2020)
- Officer (specify in Other), National Communication Association - Communication and the Future Division (2018 - 2019)
- Other, AEJMC - Communication and Technology Division (2017 - 2019)
- Officer (specify in Other), National Communication Association - Communication and the Future Division (2017 - 2018)
- Other, Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) - University of Utah Chapter (2014 - 2016)
- Officer (specify in Other), National Communication Association - Health Communication Division (2014 - 2015)