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ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Junior Faculty Scholar Awards for 2025 have been presented to Phillip Arceneaux, assistant professor of Media, Journalism, and Film; Allison Farrell, assistant professor of Psychology; and Indivar Jonnalagadda, assistant professor of Global and Intercultural Studies.

University Junior Faculty Scholar Awards honor faculty who have demonstrated great potential in research or artistry and have achieved significant standing in their fields.

University Faculty Scholar Awards were presented to Rodney Coates, Luis (Iñaki) Prádanos-Garcia, and Hui Wang. Read the story. 

Phillip Areceneaux

Areceneaux is an assistant professor of Strategic Communications in the Department of Media, Journalism, and Film. He serves as director of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s Diplomacy Lab and is a faculty fellow with the Menard Family Center for Democracy. 

He received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 2019 and was a  research consultant for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's before joining ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú in 2020.

Areceneaux’s  research interests include political public relations, public diplomacy, computational propaganda, and international law and policy. His interdisciplinary approach includes studying the growing political and regulatory uses and impacts of emerging communication practices on the governmental, defense, commercial and non-profit sectors.

As a public policy specialist, his research areas include foreign policy, national security, and elections. As a communication practitioner, he has consulted on public relations and marketing across the United States federal government, including the Department of State, Naval Academy, and Central Intelligence Agency.

Arceneaux’s “expertise in communication and social media public relations has significantly contributed to the rapid growth and visibility of the International Communication Association (ICA) Public Diplomacy Interest Group within the global academic community,” a nominator wrote. 

“His work not only shaped the agenda of the group (ICA Public Diplomacy), it changed the conversation of the leading group in the field. That impact will resonate for years,” another nominator wrote. 

Arceaneaux’s work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including Public Relations Review, Journal of Communication Management, Journalism Studies, Journal of Political Marketing, Journal of Public Affairs, Journal of Public Diplomacy, and Journal of Information Warfare. He has authored multiple book chapters, policy papers, and thought leadership articles, and hosts .  

“His  productivity is more than impressive, both in quantity and quality. He’s regularly cited, invited, and asked to participate because his work is valued, valuable, and respected,” a nominator wrote.

Allison Farrell

Farrell, assistant professor of Psychology, leads the . She researches the interplay between close relationships, stress, and physical health in order to understand how to promote better outcomes.

She received her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2016 and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Wayne State University from 2016-2019 before joining ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú in 2019.

Farrell’s scholarly accomplishments since beginning her position at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú “are nothing short of phenomenal,” a nominator wrote. “She has published 12 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact outlets. These papers not only land in amazing places, but also clearly impact the field. The interdisciplinary nature of her work also poises her to influence knowledge within multiple areas of science as well as practice.”

Another nominator emphasized that given the nature of Farrell’s research, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted her ability to collect data. However, she “was able to collect data from over 100 couples using daily diary methodology, an amazing feat given the additional constraints that the pandemic placed on safely collecting data,” the nominator wrote. 

Farrell was recognized for early impact in her field with the Association of Psychological Science Rising Star Award in 2021.

Her research is supported with a grant from the National Science Foundation for more than $645,000. 

Farrell serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships and as an editorial board member for two more journals, “which is rare to see this early in one’s career and again speaks to the value that Dr. Farrell’s colleagues see in her expertise,” a nominator wrote. 

“Undergraduate and graduate students in our department are incredibly fortunate to not only get exposure to Dr. Farrell’s cutting-edge techniques and questions, but also get the opportunity to develop their own scholarship under her excellent mentorship,” the nominator wrote. 

“Dr. Farrell embodies the passion, rigor, and drive of a uniquely productive scholar who brings invaluable intellectual energy to our department, the field of psychology, and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University.”

Indivar Jonnalagadda

Jonnalagadda, assistant professor of IGlobal and Intercultural Studies, is an ethnographer, writer, and filmmaker who focuses on the issues of social and environmental justice and studies international development and global cities. 

He received his Ph.D. in anthropology and South Asia Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023 and joined ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú in 2023. 

His work combines ethnographic, archival, spatial, and quantitative methods to research urban environments, governance, and politics in cities of the Global South (primarily in India). His research includes topics such as housing rights, land markets, sanitation infrastructure, renewable energy, and education. 

His honors include a Mellon Graduate Student Research Award (2020), the Thomas Zwicker Memorial Fund Award (2023),and a Special Mention in the Urban Studies Journal’s Best Article of 2022 Award, among several other accolades.

One nominator called Jonalagadda “accomplished, humble, and prolific” during his time as a Ph.D. candidate.

“He is brilliant and insightful; someone whose capacious intellect is manifest in the generosity of his engagements, both at the university and among the communities he works with,” the nominator wrote.

This nominator also noted Jonalgadda’s work has resulted in four original articles published in top academic journals for anthropology, geography, and urban studies.

“Indivar is a wonderful, inspiring and conscientious teacher,” the nominator wrote. “He is genuinely curious about the world, and he does a wonderful job infecting his students with that same engaging curiosity he brings to class.”

Another nominator called Jonalgadda one of the “most exciting rising scholars” in the fields of urban anthropology, the political economy of development and the state, and South Asian Studies.

The nominator also praised Jonalgadda for his book project, “Permanent Slums: Poverty, Property, and the Production of Second-class Citizenship in Hyderabad.”

“Dr. Jonalagadda’s work contributes to ongoing debates about the relationship between civility, property, and citizenship,” the nominator wrote. 

“His findings raise important questions about the tensions between the aspirations of marginalized caste groups for property and mobility on the one hand, and imperatives to protect vulnerable groups from exploitation by powerful market actors on the other.”