SoC Scholars Lead at AEJMC 2024

Faculty and Ph.D. students from the University of Miami School of Communication made a significant impact at the 2024 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference, held from August 8-11 in Philadelphia, PA. Their participation highlighted the School’s commitment to advancing scholarship and leadership in the fields of communication, public relations, journalism, and media.

Ph.D. Students’ Achievements:

The following papers were presented in the Top Student Paper Session for the Public Relations Division:

  • “Cultural Tightness and Public Assessment of Corporate Social Advocacy Legitimacy: An Exploratory Study” by Dongqing Xu, Geyi Wang, Hui Shi, and Xinyu Zhao which won the First Place Paper for the Student Paper Competition.
  • “Perception of Ethicality of CSA on Employees’ Acceptance of Diversity and Advocacy: The Role of CSA Positive Emotional and Perceptions of Organization Fit” by Xinyu Zhao which won the Second Place Paper for the Student Paper Competition.
  • “Driving Collective Change: Understanding the Influence of Internal Communication on Employees’ Issue-driven Collective Activism Intention toward Police Brutality Issues” by Dongya Wang.

In addition to the Top Student Paper Session, a number of Communication, Ph.D. students presented and/or worked on research that was presented including:

  • “The Interplay of CSR Normative Legitimacy and Influencer Trustworthiness: The Role of Public-Serving Motives” by Jun Zhang, Li Chen, and Dongqing Xu.
  • “Consumer Positive Moral Emotions and Communicative Actions: Testing the Situational Theory of Problem Solving in Corporate Responsibility to Race” by Xiao Liang and Yeunjae Lee.
  • “Bridging CSR and Consumption Intention: The Mediating Impact of Green Trust and CSR Identification in the Ant Forest Context” by Hui (Anya) Shi and Honagxi Chen.
  • “Exploring the Impact of Narrative Involvement and Social Support on Consumers’ Evaluative Persuasion Knowledge in Live-Stream Social Media Ads in China” by Xinyu Zhao.
  • “Be Ethical Then Proficient: Examining Internal Public Relations Efforts Among Workplace Adoption of Generative AI” by Yang Yi, Dongya Wang, Queenie Li, Miami, Yeunjae Lee (Colorado State University), and Weiting Tao.
  • Communication, Ph.D. student, Luis Garcia Conde presented “Understanding Journalism for Social Change as a Potentially Transformative Innovation“ in the International Communication Division poster session.
  • Incoming doctoral student Manasvi Maheshwari, presented “Challenges in Implementing the WJS in India’s Research and Cultural Environs” with professor of journalism, Dr. Jyotika Ramaprasad.
  • Recent doctoral graduate, Hannah Artman presented Creativity, Community, and Dialogue: Youth Media Literacy and Zines in the Visual Communication Division.

Faculty Presentations and Awards:

Faculty members from various departments within the School of Communication also made notable contributions:

  • Journalism and Media Management: Department Chair Dr. Sallie Hughes, Professor Jyotika Ramaprasad, and Professor Joe Treaster were joined at AEJMC by new faculty members Dr. Rachel Mourão and Dr. Ayleen Cabas-Mijares. Dr. Mourão received first place in the Community Journalism Interest Group for “Place Matters: Variations in U.S. Journalism Culture” and second place in the Newspaper and Online News Division for “Curated Verification: Partisan Differences in Audience’s Information Validation Strategies“. Dr. Cabas-Mijares won first place in the Minorities and Communication Division for “Bring a Bucket, Bring a Mop: News Coverage of WAP and the Contentious Articulation of Black Women’s Politics of Pleasure,” a study about the media’s coverage of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s single WAP and its implications for Black women’s sexualities. Additionally, Dr. Cabas-Mijares presented “Desiring the Disabled Body: How Disabled Women Are Represented in Visual Journalism” in the Visual Communication Division and also participated in the panel Sex and the Press: Directions for Research, Policy, and Practice. Recent alumna of the Communication, Ph.D. program Zara Masood presented “Climate Change Communication Using TikTok Video and Dialogue” alongside Dr. Jyotika Ramaprasad in the Communicating Science, Health, Environment and Risk and Visual Communication Divisions poster session. Professor Joe Treaster served as a panelist on the Election 2024: Student Media Coverage, Special Projects and Innovative Storytelling Tools panel.
  • Strategic Communication: Dr. Regina Jihea Ahn, Dr. Chen (Crystal) Chen, and Dr. Sophia Mueller-Bryson presented pioneering research, including “Redefining Progressive and Regressive Brand Activism: Insights from an Exploratory Study Employing the Theory of Tight and Loose Cultures” which was research collaboratively by faculty members and doctoral students Hui (Anya) Shi, Dongqing Xu, Xinyu Zhao, and Geyi Wang in the Strategic Communication Research Lab. A poster for“Masculinity Clash: How Traditional and Contemporary Masculinity Influences Young Men’s Perceptions of Gender Portrayals in Advertising” was presented by Sophia Mueller-Bryson, University of Miami; Kasey Windels and Sarah Karl, University of Florida; Ashley Johns and Alessandra Noli, Florida State University. Dr. Mueller-Bryson also participated in the Research Panel Session: Critical Voices in Advertising Research.
  • Interactive Media: Dr. Ching-Hua Chuan presented “A Decision Tree Approach to Predicting Consumer Evaluation of Computer-Generated Imagery Influencers’ Brand Endorsements,” in collaboration with Regina Ahn and Su Yeon Cho (Quinnipiac University).
  • Additionally, Dean Karin Wilkins and Dr. Mourão participated in the panel “Elevating Female-Identified Voices on the Job Market: How Can We Support Women Scholars Making Career Choices in Academia?“

The University of Miami School of Communication continues to be at the forefront of scholarly innovation and thought leadership, further establishing its role as a leader in the communication and media disciplines.