Many ComArtSci students participated in the 23rd University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) at Michigan State University, with the projects spanning from communication and journalism, to advertising and public relations, media and information, and communicative sciences and disorders.
The winners for the area of Communication Arts and Sciences include Mariam Sayed, Elena Cousino, the research team of Alexis Furkioti and Jack Rechsteiner, and the research team of Kaylee Commet, Ellen Brooks, Libby Fernau and Kaitlin Gaynor. ComArtSci students also won awards in the Film and Digital Media Showcase, including Dylan Kissel for "Media Helping Families" and the team of Nala Davis and Cherished Kirkland for "Twin Pandemics."
The UURAF provides Michigan State undergraduate students with an opportunity to showcase their research and creative endeavors. This forum features nearly 650 student presenters from 15 different colleges. These students were mentored by over 450 faculty, staff, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students, including many faculty mentors at ComArtSci.
Presentations in the virtual conference" were made available to the public from April 15-19, and the awards were announced on April 23, 2021 online and on social media. The projects presented at the virtual conference included:
- "Communication Arts & Sciences Clear and Creative Science Communication" — Taylor Haelterman (JRN) Communication Arts and Sciences, Oral Presentation, Mentor(s): David Poulson
- "Rap on Flint" — Ben Goldman (JRN), Nolan Wall (ADV CRT) Communication Arts and Sciences, Oral Presentation, Mentor(s): Geraldine Zeldes
- "Creating a Film in a Post-Pandemic World" — Dylan Kissel (MI), Julianna Lavey (MI), Maddie Brent (MI), Sara Seryani (CSE), Tevy Hambric (Interdis Hums) Communication Arts and Sciences, Oral Presentation, Mentor(s): Amol Pavangadkar
- "A Study of QAnon Propaganda on Twitter as Information Warfare" — Faith Foster (PSY ) Communication Arts and Sciences, Oral Presentation, Mentor(s): Laura Dilley
- "Fostering Societal Transformations in Attitudes Toward Neurodiverse Populations" — Mariam Sayed (PHYS) Communication Arts and Sciences, Oral Presentation, Mentor(s): Laura Dilley
- "Content Analysis of Opinion Pieces and Hard News Stories on the Coverage of Protests in 2020" — Elena Cousino (JRN) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Rachel Reis Mourao
- "Media Multitasking and Advertisements Representing Social Issues" — Diya Venkatesh (ADV MGT) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Anastasia Kononova
- "Ability to Identify COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation on TikTok" — Anish Nimmagadda (Neuro), Anvita Suneja (Neuro) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Alina Dong, Saleem Alhabash
- "The Evolution of Professional Experience Courses in Journalism" — Danielle James (JRN) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Eric Freedman
- "Voice Use and Lifestyle of Adults Taking Singing Lessons Virtually or In Person" — Kate Vinkemulder (BIO), Nishtha Kakar (LBC) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation Section: 2 Presentation Number: 150 Mentor(s): Jeffrey Searl
- "'She Just Reminds Me So Much of Me! Maybe I Shouldn't Admit That': How Children's Gender Identity Influences the Selection of their Favorite Media Characters and Programs" — Erica Austhof (COM) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Fashina Alade, Melinda Aley
- "Applying Rusbult's Investment Model to the Context of Family Distancing" — Marissa Immel (COM) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Elizabeth Dorrance Hall
- "Nonprofit Organizations Use of Social Media" — Lydia Werth (ADV MGT) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Ava Francesca Battocchio, Kjerstin Thorson
- "How Quoting Sources in News Stories Affects Evaluations of Black Lives Movement" — Xinyi You (JRN) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Rachel Reis Mourao
- "MI Diaries: The Development of a Research Project as a Brand" — Alexis Furkioti (ADV MGT), Jack Rechsteiner (LING) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Betsy Sneller, Suzanne Wagner
- "News Media Interpretation of Social Movement Protest Signs" — Justin Brust (Pub Policy SS) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Rachel Reis Mourao
- "An Examination of Crisis Journalism Research" — Maddie Monroe (JRN) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Manuel Chavez
- "Content Analysis of Civic Journalism at the Jacksonville Times-Union" — Subah Bhatia (JMCD/JRN) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Esther Thorson
- "Exploring the Impact of Story-Based Training on Phishing Susceptibility" — Faye Kollig (MI) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Rick Wash
- "Potential Impacts of Face Coverings on Childhood Communication Development" — Alyssa Fritz (COM), Alyssa Spencer (HDFS CSD Minor), Koryn Pennebaker (ED CSD Minor), Madison Dunn (KIN, CSD Minor) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Jeffrey Searl
- "How Electronic Toys Impact the Quality of Parent Language Input Provided to Young Children With and Without Autism" — Ellen Brooks (KIN), Kaitlin Gaynor (ED), Kaylee Commet (PSY CSD Minor), Libby Fernau (PSY CSD Minor) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Mackenzie Sturman, Courtney Venker
- "Student Filmmaking and Safety During Coronavirus-19" — Adam Menting (MI), Alex Fitzgerald (COM), Jillian Burger (MI) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Amol Pavangadkar
- "Confronting Stereotype and Stigma around Autism Using Phenomenological Data from Twitter" — Carcia Young (MTH), Emma Bullock (ED), Olivia Moore (BIO), Priya Patterson-Lee (Neuro) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Laura Dilley
- "Bringing Voice to Non-Speaking Individuals on the Autism Sepctrum" — Alyssa Hennessey (Neuro), Angel Edwards (CEM), Anushree Ravi (LBC), Kat Zuniga (Neuro) Communication Arts and Sciences, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Laura Dilley
- "Humanity's Role in Propelling Animals Towards Extinction" — Logan Bry (JRN) Environmental Science and Natural Resources, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Eric Freedman
- "Response to COVID-19: Stress of Teachers in Six Southern States" — Brooke Barendsen (COM) Education, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Eric Hunter
- "District Size and Access to SLP Services in Schools: A Comparison of Michigan and Illinois" — Julia Plesz (COM) Education, Poster Presentation, Mentor(s): Eric Hunter
- "Media Helping Families" — Film and Media Showcase Participant Dylan Kissel
- "Twin Pandemics" — Film and Media Showcase Participants Nala Davis (FLM and MI BA) and Cherished Kirkland (MI), with Mentor Amol Pavangadkar
For more information, visit Undergraduate Research at Michigan State University.
By Melissa Priebe