TCNJ student papers “provide renewed hope for our health communication discipline and our world” according to Anne Nicotera, professor and organizer of the national biannual D.C. Health Communication Conference hosted by George Mason University May 1–3, 2025, in Herndon, Virginia.
“To see this caliber of work produced by undergraduate students is rare and exceedingly gratifying,” she said.
Praising the quality of a record-breaking 14 student papers accepted for presentation — all selected in a blind, refereed competition — Nicotera marveled that TCNJ undergraduate presentations often meet or exceed the professional standards expected of PhD candidates.
Co-authored by 45 students, all 14 papers were written in fall 2024 classes taught by John C. Pollock, professor in the Department of Communication, Journalism, and Film, and the Department of Public Health.
Choosing their own topics and exploring the impact of society on media, undergraduates tested “community structure” theory, which seeks systematic relationships between different community demographics and variations in news coverage of critical issues. Comparing coverage among major U.S. cities, students explored topics such as abortion access, climate change, disability accommodation, homelessness, obesity, and opioid use. Comparing coverage among nations across the world, students examined abortion access as well as conflict zone migration, drug trafficking, human trafficking, male contraception, men’s mental health, pandemic mental health, and sexual violence.
The “Top Undergraduate Student-Led Abstract Award” for the entire conference went to a TCNJ paper presented by senior author Theresa Leighton ’25 (co-authored with Blen Tesfahun ’27, Samantha Matson ’27, and Roman Fabbricatore ’25) on cross-national coverage of migration from conflict zones. At the closing awards ceremony, conference organizer Nicotera hailed the TCNJ paper as among the “top 20” among all 280 submissions to the conference, including papers from graduate students and professors throughout the world.
Additional TCNJ students attending the conference, some presenting more than one paper or poster, included Christopher DeSantis ’25, Caroline Dowd ’26, Jacqueline Faulk ’26, Emily Ferrer ’25, Mabintou Fofana ’27, Kyle Levy ’25, Rebecca Heath ’25, Natalie Roesch ’25, Jennifer Romero ’25, and Samyuktha Senthil ’25.
“It was eye-opening and inspiring to present original research and to learn firsthand from outstanding scholars making an incredible impact on the health communication field,” said Heath of her participation in the conference.
“These student-faculty collaborative achievements underscore the strength of interdisciplinary collaboration at TCNJ,” said Natasha Patterson, chair of the Department of Public Health. “Dr. Pollock’s joint appointment with Public Health and CJF creates a unique space for students to explore public health through the lens of media and society. The caliber of these presentations speaks volumes about the relevance of their work to real-world health challenges and the exceptional mentorship guiding them.”
“The department is tremendously proud of all the DCHC national conference student presenters, whose hard work on important issues deserves widespread recognition,” said Susan Ryan, chair of the Department of Communication, Journalism, and Film.
Student participation was made possible in part by a scholarship fund established by Charles and Barbaranne ’68 DiMarco in memory of their son, Garrett DiMarco ’10. The fund provides financial assistance to sophomores, juniors, and seniors majoring in communication studies to help defray expenses incurred to present research at academic conferences.
— John C. Pollock