My primary research focuses are race, gender and disability issues in visual and digital communication.Kilgo has also studied the influence of framing on audience interpretation, framing effects, and news redistribution practices of social media users. Her work appears in academic journals such as the Journal of Communication, Journalism, Journalism Studies, Digital Journalism, and The International Journal of Communication. Her research has received multiple honors at national and international conferences. Kilgo joined the faculty of The Media School at Indiana University as an assistant professor in Fall 2017. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Baylor University