Events
Join us for COMMColloquium Friday, February 9, at 1:00 pm in 102 Mann Library Building. Postdoctoral Associate Miki Matsumuro will present “Cognitive Modeling in Human-Computer, Human-Machine, and Human-Agent Interaction.” The colloquium is followed by a reception, located in The Hub of the Department of Communication.
Grants
Graduate Student Amanda Vilchez received a $5500 Student Research Scholarship from Bat Conservation International for her project, “Let's Talk about Bats: Citizen Science for Bat Conservation in Peruvian Rural Areas.” The participatory research project aims to improve people's perception of bats—to ensure bat conservation, reduce negative interactions with these animals, and reduce rabies transmission risk.
Media Coverage
Comm Ph.D. alum Alex Kresovich was quoted multiple times in the New York Times interactive article “How Psychiatry Broke the Top 40.”
New Course
Over Winter Break, Senior Lecturers Lauren Chambliss and Michelle LaVigne taught their new course, Experiential Writing in Oaxaca (COMM 3090), with Graduate Student Amanda Vilchez as teaching assistant. During this 10-day program, they intertwined the exploration of Oaxaca and its breathtaking natural areas and archeological sites with assignments and instruction. Students researched and wrote about complex or controversial cultural, social, or environmental issues in order to increase their comprehension and appreciation of the relationship between the environment, people, and culture in one of the most interesting parts of Mexico. They visited Monte Alban, a pre-Colombian archeological site of sacred topography carved out of a mountain that was inhabited for more than 13 centuries. They swam in the natural waters of Hierve el Agua. They witnessed a demonstration by Zapotec artists creating world-renowned, vibrant textiles with natural dyes, a tradition passed down through generations. And they visited the Zapotec Language Institute to learn about regional efforts to sustain indigenous languages. (Culinary delights were a daily occurrence.) Students engaged in experiential writing across different formats blending their experiences and research into dynamic narratives. (See pictures below.)
Publications
Research Associate Sarah Gilbert & Brandi Geurkink, January 2024, “Why Reddit’s Decision to Cut off Researchers Is Bad for Its Business—and Humanity,” Fast Company. Last April, Reddit made changes to its API that have limited researchers’ access to data, despite promising they would be unaffected. The authors argue that by controlling access to its once-open data, Reddit has put itself in a powerful role as the gatekeeper of information about its platform. How it leverages this role will prove critical to its success.
Professor Jeff Niederdeppe, Research Associate Norman Porticella, Alan Mathios, et al., December 2023, “Managing a Policy Paradox? Responses to Textual Warning Labels on E-Cigarette Advertisements among U.S. National Samples of Youth Overall and Adults Who Smoke or Vape,” Social Science & Medicine. Using a national probability sample of adults who smoke and/or vape and a mixed sample of youth (ages 14–17), the authors tested the impact of five ad-based e-cigarette warning labels on e-cigarette risk beliefs, willingness to use e-cigarettes, and (among people who smoke or vape) considerations to quit these products. Alternative warnings tended to be no more effective than the current FDA warning about nicotine, though limited evidence suggests some potential for messages highlighting exposure to specific chemicals and their harms to encourage people who use both e-cigarettes and cigarettes to consider quitting both.
