Archive for ‘Research’

At this year’s Undergraduate Research , Creativity, and Innovation Festival, we had six students from the department present their research, and they won three awards:

• Elizabeth Bryant (Sociology minor),“Recent Trends in Confidence in Medicine from the General Social Survey,”
  Award: Outstanding poster presentation in the social science and
  “What Would It Take for the United States to Adopt the French Healthcare System? A Social Theory Perspective”
• Amelia Little (Sociology major), “Winners Rule, Losers Wear a Dress: Fantasy Football and White Masculinity”
• Gracyn McGathy (Sociology major),“The Mark of the “Slut”: Iranian Women & Tattoos as Political Protest,”
  Award: Outstanding oral presentation in the social sciences
• Caroline McKnight (Communication major), “Contradictory Responses and Late Apologies: Analyzing Facebook’s Privacy Crisis Response with Situational Crisis Communication Theory”
• Hansen Penya (Sociology major), “HEARD IT HERE: Gangs, Poverty, & the Black Experience”
• Abigayle Taylor (Communication major), “No Laughing Matter: Crisis at the Ellen Show,”
  Award: Top oral presentation in arts and humanities

ACU Undergraduate Research, Creativity, and Innovation Festival presenters and mentors

This year’s National Communication Association Convention was in New Orleans, Louisiana. Two graduate students presented their research mentored by Dr. Lauren Lemley:

• Sahori Hernandez-Quiñones, “Portrayals of Sexism & Misogyny in TV: A Rhetorical Analysis of The Queen’s Gambit”
• Sydney Risher, “Hozier and Hegemonic Masculinity”

Heather Johnson, a graduate student, presented the research she conducted as an undergraduate entitled “A Frozen Fumble: An Analysis of the 2015 Blue Bell Creameries’ Listeria Crisis.” Dr. Sharp Penya was her research mentor.

2022 National Communication Association Convention, students with mentors

This year’s National Communication Association Convention was in Seattle, Washington. Sahori Hernandez-Quiñones presented her paper, “A Company in Denial: An Analysis of Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder Crisis Response Through the Lens of Situational Crisis Communication Theory.” Her paper was on the Lambda Pi Eta top paper panel and Dr. Lynette Sharp Penya was her research mentor.

Senior communication major Jackson Scott and Dr. Lauren Lemley presented on the top panel in the Communication Centers Division at NCA. Their panel was titled “Renewing Our Focus on Tutor Training: The Transformation of Communication Training Needs.” 

Dr. Dan Morrison, Associate Professor of Sociology, mentored five student research projects that were accepted for presentation at the 2022 Pacific Sociological Association Conference. These students included the following:

Dr. Lauren Lemley traveled to the Eastern Communication Association Convention in Philadelphia this April with several students who presented their original research in communication. Students who had their papers accepted for presentation included the following:

Seven students presented their original research at the 2022 ACU Undergraduate Research, Creativity, and Innovation Festival and won five awards for their presentations. They won top paper presentations and awards for outstanding oral presentations in both the social sciences and arts and humanities divisions. All presenters, their paper titles, and awards earned are listed below:

• Eden Barnhouse (Communication), “Rhetoric of Ted Lasso: Rhetors Creating Safe Spaces to Talk About Mental Health”
  
• Emma Barnhouse (Communication), “Owning Your Mistakes: An Analysis of CrossFit’s Strategic Crisis Communication Theory,” Top Presentation in the Social Sciences 
• Emma Barnhouse (Communication), “The Rhetoric of Fleabag: An Analysis of Mental Health Portrayal in Television,” Outstanding Oral Presentations in the Arts & Humanities
• Chloe Brownell (Communication), “A Meltdown Between Friends”: An Exploration of Fan Culture and Celebrity Mental Health,” Top Presentation in the Arts & Humanities
• Eastin Kandt (Communication), “An Analysis of Boeing’s 737 MAX Air Crisis through the Lens of Image Restoration Theory” 
  
• Amelia Little (Sociology and Psychology double major; presenting psychology research), “Times Are A Changin’: Views on Traditionalism versus Egalitarianism in Christian College Culture,” Outstanding Oral Presentation in the Social Sciences
• Mitchell Melrose (Computer Science major and Communication minor), “An Examination of the 2017 Equifax Data Breach: Crisis Response Through the Lens of Situational Crisis Communication Theory”
• Mae Williams (Communication), “How One Music Video Challenged Gender Inequality: Analysis of “The Man” 
• Mae Williams (Communication), “The First Two Years: An Analysis of Volkswagen Emission Scandal”

Members of the sociology division gave several presentations at this year’s Pacific Sociological Association’s (PSA) virtual meeting. Sociology junior Becca Ritchie presented her research titled “The High Price of Cheap Leggings: An Analysis of LuLaRoe’s Social Hierarchies and Business Practices.” She outlined the multi-level marketing company LuLaRoe and its discourse in women’s fashion by applying insights from her experience in her Fall 2020 sociology theory course.

Dr. Daniel Morrison, associate professor of sociology, presented his research titled “Football Helmet Technologies and the Cultivation of Ignorance.” As chair of the Committee on Freedom of Research and Teaching, Morrison also organized two panels: “Teaching and Research in Politically Sensitive Times” and “Academic Freedom and the Management of Higher Education.” The panels featured scholars from the University of California at San Diego, University of Nevada Reno, Sonoma State University, Chapman University and Northern Arizona University, among others.

A record number of communication majors presented their scholarship at the 2021 ACU Undergraduate Research Festival. Students presented papers written in Fall 2020 for two courses: Rhetoric of Pop Culture and Crisis Management in Organizations. Five students presented virtually, including Madelyn Cupit, Lauren Little, Megan Scott, Sebestyn Szenttornyay and Emilie Thompson. In-person presenters included Heather Johnson, Sahori Hernandez-Quiñones and Jackson Scott. Johnson won Top Paper Presentation in the Humanities for her work titled “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Grief and Mourning on TV.”

Sociology faculty and students attended the 2019 Pacific Sociological Association Conference this March in Oakland, California. The conference theme was Engaging Millennials: Researching and Teaching about Power, Diversity, and Change.

Three undergraduates gave two presentations:

• Ari Gee, “Leadership and Love within LGBT Christians.”
• Ashlyn Byrd and Kaylor Hatfield, “Concerns Younger and Older Adults Face Regarding the Aging Process.”

One Sociology alum gave a presentation:

• Trice Prince, “The Modern Experience of Black Millenial Males in White Evangelical Churches in America.”

Two Sociology faculty and one graduate student gave a total of five presentations:

• Dan Morrison, PhD, “Committee on Freedom of Research and Teaching.”
• Suzanne Macaluso, PhD, “Choose Your Own Adventure: How Incorporating Free Range Assignments Increased Student Engagement in a Social Problems Class.”
• Krista Masci (graduate student) and Suzanne Macaluso, PhD, “Gerontology Maximized: A Longitudinal Study of Student Motivation on Effective Learning in Aging Studies.”
• Dan Morrison, PhD, “Rating Risk: Football Helmet Standards and the Veil of Regulation.”
• Dan Morrison, PhD, “Honoring the Work and Legacy of Adele, E. Clarke.”