David Cassilo

David Cassilo is Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Detroit Mercy's College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences, teaching communication, media and journalism courses. He serves as advisor for The Varsity News student publication and researches sports communication issues with focus on health-related topics.

His scholarly work examines media representations of head injuries, mental health challenges among athletes, and sports journalism practices. Cassilo's industry experience includes coverage of NBA Finals and NCAA Final Four for outlets including USA Today, SLAM, and Cleveland.com.

In 2022, he received the Larry Wenner Emerging Scholar Award from the National Communication Association's Communication & Sport Division, recognizing early career excellence in sports communication research. His work bridges academic scholarship with professional sports journalism practice.