Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

Media advisory: Kevin Leicht to testify before congressional subcommittee about disinformation

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Kevin T. Leicht, a professor of sociology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Committee’s Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight on Tuesday, Sept. 28.

Leicht’s remarks will focus on the role of internet disinformation in fomenting distrust of experts and established scientific knowledge, in particular with respect to COVID-19 vaccines and miracle cures.

Leicht and Alan Mislove, of Northeastern University, and Laura Edelson, of New York University, will co-present “The Disinformation Black Box: Researching Social Media Data” at 10 a.m. EDT. They will testify remotely via videoconferencing.

The hearing will be livestreamed at https://science.house.gov/hearings.

Leicht’s research centers on the political and social consequences of social inequality and cultural fragmentation. His current work explores the growing skepticism toward scientists and attacks on experts and established scientific knowledge spread via social media.

Leicht is the primary investigator on the National Science Foundation-funded project RAPID: Tracking and Network Analysis of the Spread of Misinformation Regarding COVID-19.

U. of I. faculty members Joseph Yun, the director of data science research services and a professor of accounting in the Gies College of Business; and Brant Houston, the Knight Chair Professor in Investigative and Enterprise Reporting in the College of Media; are co-primary investigators on the project.

 

Editor’s Note: To reach Kevin Leicht, email kleicht@illinois.edu

Read Next

Campus news Vikram Adve, Rohit Bhargava, Andrew Suarez and Jennifer Teper.

Faculty members honored with 2025 Campus Awards for Excellence in Faculty Leadership

Four University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty members were honored by the Office of the Provost with the 2025 Campus Awards for Excellence in Faculty Leadership.

Campus news University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students Lindsay Bitner-Mitchell and Cecelia Escobar have been selected to participate in the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission’s Summer Institutes program. Photo collage: Fred Zwicky

Two Illinois students selected for Fulbright’s Summer Institute to the UK

Two University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students received places in the Fulbright Commission’s Summer Institutes program.

Research news Portrait of Lissette Piedra standing in front of a bookcase wearing a beige jacket and black shirt

Study reveals how social networks shape health in later life

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. ― A new study sheds light on the powerful connection between social networks and health in later life and reveals a surprising path for improving health equity among older adults. Published in the journal Innovation in Aging, the study tracked over 1,500 older adults for a decade using three rounds of data from […]

Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

507 E. Green St
MC-426
Champaign, IL 61820

Email: stratcom@illinois.edu

Phone (217) 333-5010