MSU Department of Communication

Happy 4th of July! Do us a favor and spend the day with loved ones while enjoying the summer air. You all deserve the break!

Looking into this study, we find out the importance of friendships to those who are single. Written by our very own Professor Amanda Holmstrom and Ph.D. student Junwen Hu, this article showcases benefits to companionship to those who are single. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.11…

We wanted to fit in one more Spartan Spotlight for the month of June, and this post highlights our very own Ralf Schmälzle! Dr. Schmälzle's research seeks to unravel the biological foundations of human communication by investigating how the brain perceives messages in contexts.

Happy freedom day! Today, we want to acknowledge and celebrate the emancipation proclamation for destroying slavery in our country.

When listening to scientific presentations, humans look for reliability. This article researches the Thin-Slicing method, which pertains to ability to make judgements based on minimal information. Take a look at our scholars' work here: arxiv.org/abs/2504.10768

We wanted to celebrate with Keenan Covington as they were able to lead a rebrand for the non-profit company Venture For America! This was submitted to us from a past newsletter and the company has since shut down. However, we believe this is still worth celebrating Keenan!

We wanted to highlight this research article written by two of our department's scholars: Amanda J. Holmstrom and Junwen M. Hu. This study highlights life satisfaction with single individuals verses those with partners/friendships. Take a look here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pe…

This month, we wanted to spotlight Professor Maria Lapinski! Dr. Maria Lapinski is Director of the Michigan State University (MSU) Health and Risk Communication Center: Healthy People-Healthy Planet, an interdisciplinary research, teaching, and public engagement network.

Assistant Professor Jacob Fisher has been working on an exciting project revolving around ADHD research and media psychology. His game Astroid Impact has enabled him and his team to better understand behavior and brain. Read more here: comartsci.msu.edu/about/newsroom…

Happy memorial day from our family to yours. We want to honor those who served our country and protected our freedom. Have an amazing day with loved ones today!

When you look at your significant other, do you see them as your best friend? This study focuses on an intersection of romantic relationships being seen as best friends. You may read the full article here: journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.117…

Looking for your next publication feature to research? This study was written by our very own Professors Brandon Van Der Heide and David Markowitz and focuses on AI use in web-browsing. We encourage you to take a look! Article link: researchgate.net/profile/David-…

For the month of May, we wanted to spotlight Associate Professor Dustin Carnahan! His research focuses on how citizens engage with the political information environment and how these practices influence their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

We are SO excited to congratulate one of our HRCMA alums; Arlynn Dailey for being appointed by Governor Whitmer! Arlynn has been appointed by Whitmer to the Michigan Board of Dietetics and Nutrition. This is a HUGE accomplishment. Congratulations Arlynn!

Whether you are completing your final year of classes, moving on to the next semester, or getting ready to enjoy your summer, we wanted to congratulate each and every hard working student. We hope you enjoy your well deserved break and have a successful career ahead of you!

Recently, our department was able to host a luncheon and honor our new scholarship recipients! You can read more about each student and their scholarships in our upcoming newsletter (stay tuned). Congratulations students!

Congratulations to Bobbie Rathjens for defending her dissertation! We are so excited to honor another amazing scholar on her hard work. Help us celebrate Bobbie by leaving a comment below! #MSUComm

This month's Spartan Spotlight is on Brandon Van Der Heide! Dr. Van Der Heide’s recent work has been exploring the ways that text-based communication media affect influence processes and credibility impressions. Thank you Brandon for working so diligently with our COM team!

Congratulations for our very own Sue Lim! We are proud to honor her for successfully defending her dissertation. Cheers to many more accomplishments within your career Sue! #MSUComm

Happy Easter from your MSU COMM Department! We hope everyone enjoys today with loved ones and lots of chocolate!