Education

B.F.A., Fine Art Photography, University of Florida
M.F.A., Electronic Media, University of Florida
Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of Florida
Certificate, A&JSmart, Workshopper Master - Design Thinking, Agile & Creative Facilitation
Certificate, General Assembly, User Experience Design (UX Research Track)

Research and Creative

Sabrina Habib studies the influence of technology on the creative process and teaching creativity — most recently focusing on AI. She believes understanding the creative process is the first step toward creative confidence in problem-solving — an essential life skill. Her peer-reviewed work has been published across disciplines and has expanded beyond academic venues. 

With a background in advertising, entrepreneurship, and arts, her creative activities complement her research and teaching. She led the development of the data and communication program at the College of Information and Communications and is currently serving as the AI coordinator for the college. Habib is also the chair of the visual communications sequence. Her administrative work is geared towards curricular innovation. She is Brazilian and multicultural.

Teaching

Habib strives to empower students to become innovators within their chosen field.  Her courses are centered on socially responsive understandings of communication.  She teaches creativity, Adobe Suite programs and video production. Her students have won numerous coveted awards over the years and Habib was the recipient of the AEJMC Visual Communications Teaching Award in 2020.

Recent Funded Grants

2025-2026 - US Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services. Co-PI. Microtrainings on Critical Policing Issues: Creating and evaluating accessible, digestible trainings based on the Excellence in Policing and Public Safety (EPPS) Masters in Public Safety Leadership.
Role: direct, produce, film, and edit a series of training videos for police officers. Total Award: $496,455

2024 – 2025 - CIC AI Seed Grant, USC, Co-PI
How AI’s Design and Limitations Affect Human Learning and Public Knowledge. PI – Novin, A. Co-PI - Mohammadi, E.
Role: conduct and analyze experiment with AI tools. Total award: $4,500.

2023-24 - Innovative Course Development Grant, Center for Teaching Excellence. P-I. University of South Carolina.  The course is titled: Foundations of UX. Total award $2,500.

2022-24 - Burrell Communications Culture Research, Co-PI
Goal of study: understand culture, identity, and connected consciousness commonalities among diverse target audiences.
Role: qualitative team leader. Total award: $31,831

2021 - Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Curriculum Grant, PI. University of South Carolina, SC. This grant awarded by the Center for Teaching Excellence will allow me to adapt an existing course to focus on historically marginalized populations. Total award $2,500.

Selected Refereed Articles and Publications

Habib, S. (2025). Desperately Seeking Advertising Creativity: AI’s Impact. Journal of Advertising Education.

Habib, S., Vogel, T., Thorne, E. (2025). Student Perspectives on Creative Pedagogy: Considerations for the Age of AI. Thinking Skills and Creativity, (56)101767.  Role: lead researcher 

Habib, S., Vogel, T., Xiao, A., Thorne, E. (2024). How Does Generative Artificial Intelligence Impact Student Creativity? Journal of Creativity special AI edition, 34(1). ISSN  2713-3745. Role: lead researcher 

Patwardhan, P., Kerr, G., Patwardhan, H., Kelly, L., Habib, S., Mortimer, K., & Laurie, S. (2022). Ad Agency Leadership in the US, UK, and Australia: A Mixed-Method Analysis of Effective Attributes and Styles. Journal of Advertising, 51(2), 223-239.

Habib, S.; Patwardhan, P. (2020). Training to Lead in an Era of Change: Insights from Ad Agency Leaders. Journal of Advertising Education, 24(1) 36-51. Best Paper Award. 

Creative Activities - Films

Traces (Associate Producer), expected 2023. Documentary about second generation Holocaust survivors. Set to air on PBS nationally in 2023.

Fracking Beyond Science (Director, Producer, Editor), 2020. Documentary about hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.

• Tulum World Environmental Film Festival. Tulum, Mexico (2022). Research Exploration Award.
• South Texas Underground Film Festival (STUFF). Corpus Christi, TX (2021).
• Nassau Film Festival (2021). Princeton, NJ. Honorable Mention.
• Mindie - Miami Independent Film Festival, monthly edition. Miami, FL (2020).
• Eugene Environmental Film Festival. Eugene, OR (2020)

Feeding Survivors (Producer), 2020.
Jewish Family and Community Services in collaboration with Feeding North Florida have been caring for over 100 Holocaust survivors in NE Florida. This Short documentary provides an overview of their partnership.

• Director's Circle Festival of Shorts. Virtual (2021)
• CENFLO - Central Florida Film Festival. Mount Dora, FL (2021) 
• Best Shorts Competition. La Jolla, CA (2020)
• Moscow Jewish Film Festival. Moscow, Russia (2020)
• First Coast Film Festival. Jacksonville, FL (2020)
• Global Peace Film Festival. Winter Park, FL (2020)