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Lindenwood Digest, May 6, 2026, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

Event & Date: The 2026 Lindenwood Showcase was held on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. 

Geographic Grounding: The event occurred at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. 

Key Honorees/Awards: Student winners included Reghan Gacki and Luisa Gonzalez for Original Research Project, Aidan Brynes for Creative Project, Lauren Roberts, Brendan Finnery, and Judah Davis for Exploratory Project, Chloe Ceballos for Proposal Project, and Allison Schrumf and Eleri Tye for Civic Engagement Project; Kimberly Sanchez received the Alpha Chi People's Choice Award; Oral presentation winners included Ava Bilton, Stephanie Greenhalgh, Kadence Berry, Taylor Bertubin, and Piper Colantone. 

Institutional Context: The showcase highlights diverse …

Mapping And Evaluating Butler University's Dining And Accommodation Messaging For Students With Dietary Restrictions, Cassia Belle Campbell

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Food-centered traditions are central to campus belonging, yet for students with medical dietary restrictions (e.g., celiac disease, severe food allergies), shared meals can become sites of stigma, exclusion, and heightened self-monitoring. Prior research frames these conditions as “invisible disabilities” (Davis, 2005) and highlights dynamics such as hypervigilance and disclosure fatigue (Schelly et al., 2022), which can be intensified when institutional processes are unclear or inconsistently communicated. This project examines how institutional messaging shapes the navigational burden students may experience when seeking safe participation in dining and campus life.

This study uses an artifact-based analysis of existing Butler University communication materials …

Soft Life Or Survival? The Digital Rebranding Of Black Womanhood In Online Culture, Elizabeth Revangil

Communications and Digital Media Theses

This thesis examines how Black women are using digital media, specifically the popular social media platform, TikTok, to redefine femininity through the soft life SOFT LIFE OR SURVIVAL 2 movement. Historically, Black womanhood has been tied to strength, resilience, and survival, leaving limited space for softness and emotional vulnerability. This tends to create unrealistic expectations, and an undeniable societal pressure on Black women to perform. In recent years, social media has created opportunities for Black women to challenge these expectations and present alternative definitions of the Black women identity, reshaped around peace, emotional well-being, and softness instead of strength. Using …

Eating Trees To Save The World, Belle Breyanna Li

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

This essay posits that all climate solutions will require change, an important one being eating more trees. While our current crisis is the result of indifference and inaction, we must consider innovative solutions. Like all the other possibilities, investing in more trees will require the joint efforts of our communities. As we allocate effort, time, and resources to climate solutions, the benefits will return tenfold in numerous ways. By prioritizing trees as a food source, we can empower our communities and increase their resilience. At the same time, we will positively contribute to the global climate by sequestering carbon. This …

Shutdown Creates Widespread Uncertainty, Mary-Esther Leblanc, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 144 Iss. 4

The Current - Volume 36 Issue 8, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Influence Of Environmental Motivations On Consumer Attitudes And Purchase Intentions Toward Upcycled Foods, Peng Lu, Jennifer Waldeck, Keith Weber, Hualu Zhou

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Food loss and waste (FLW) present pressing environmental and economic challenges. Upcycling technologies provide a sustainable pathway by transforming food by-products into value-added products; however, consumer acceptance remains a critical barrier. Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study investigates how environmental motivations influence consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions toward milk enriched with upcycled peanut skins. Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 1488 U.S. adults. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test hypothesized relationships among motivational constructs, and cluster analysis was used to identify consumer segments based on motivational profiles. The results show that intrinsic motivation and …

More Than A Snack: Why The Campus Pantry Is Essential, Mary-Esther Leblanc, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114 Issue 1, News

The Rattler (Volume 114, Issue 1), Rosa M. Deyo, The Rattler

The Rattler

The Rattler

Ari Still: Developing Packaging Design And Branding To Overcome Saturated Market, Andrea De La Vega

Graphic Communication

The alcoholic beverage market in the United States is facing a period of transformation, affecting the success and longevity of new launches and existing brands. Shifting consumer values and behaviors, generational changes, and an increasingly oversaturated landscape emerged after the immediate effects of the pandemic. Understanding these changes, especially as more members of Generation Z enter the legal drinking age, is imperative so retailers and spirit providers learn what the new generation expects and adapt in response. In a highly competitive market, my project aims to address how a brand can establish itself and be competitively unique, on-trend, and long-standing. …

Using The Misinformation Exposure-Trust Framework For Audience Segmentation: Predicting Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among U.S., Jing Zeng, Jinxu Li, Nan Yu, Xi Cui, Anli Xiao Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This study examines whether individuals’ exposure to and trust in COVID-19 vaccine misinformation can be used to segment audiences and explain variations in vaccine hesitancy and health beliefs. Using k-means clustering, a survey of 819 U.S. college students (March–May 2021) identifies four subgroups based on combinations of high or low misinformation exposure and trust: misinformation-shielded (low exposure, low trust), misinformation-vulnerable (low exposure, high trust), misinformation-resistant (high exposure, low trust), and misinformation-accepting (high exposure, high trust). These subgroups differ significantly in political ideology, vaccine hesitancy, and health beliefs. The misinformation-shielded subgroup reports more liberal views, lower hesitancy, and higher perceived efficacy, …

The Current - Volume 36 Issue 7, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

From Waste To Sustainability: Exploring Consumer Purchase Intentions Of Milk Enriched With Upcycled Peanut Skins, Peng Lu, Fan Xu, Jennifer Waldeck, Keith Weber, Hualu Zhou

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Highlights

• National survey investigated consumer acceptance of milk enriched with upcycled peanut skins.
• Developed a conceptual model based on Technology Acceptance Model.
• Identified that consumer attitudes and emotions are essential in the purchase intentions of upcycled foods.
• Identified social influence as a determinator of consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions.
• Inform and advance research, practice, and policy that promotes upcycled food products.

Lindenwood Digest, February 4, 2026, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

• Primary Figures: James Hutson; Colleen Biri; Mike Marzano; Ronda Cypret-Mahach; Meredith Marsh; Jessica Loyd; Lilliann Cheek; Kay DeKock; Michiko Nohara-LeClair; Esther Murphy; Jarret Brueck; Tim McNamee; Katie Long; Brad Hansen; Kim Diehl de Yanes.

• Key Events: The university issued a call for five faculty award nominations; four academic programs launched a pilot for AI and Emerging Technology Literacy; the "Lions Living Well" wellness program transitioned to the myHC360+ platform; researchers initiated recruitment for a probiotic gut health study and a gender perception study; the LARC opened a 250th American independence anniversary book display. 

• Date/Location: February 4, 2026; …

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An Impact Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of Utilizing Informal Health Communication Interventions To Spread Health Recommendations And Change Public Perception, Lina Mohamed Ezzat Ahmed Abdel Mawgoud

Theses and Dissertations

Brain health is an increasingly urgent but critically under-addressed public health priority in Egypt and the wider MENA region. Despite its centrality to aging, productivity, and overall quality of life, public understanding of brain health remains limited, and stigma continues to shape responses to dementia and cognitive decline. This study evaluates the effectiveness of informal, culturally adapted health communication as a tool to shift perception, increase awareness, and promote behavior change among non-medically trained adults in Egypt.

Grounded in global evidence on cognitive reserve, neuroplasticity, and the life-course approach to brain health, the intervention translated expert-informed brain health recommendations into …

Fighting The Black Snake: The Dapl And The Case For Indigenous Environmental Stewardship, Kenny Moll

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis analyzes the current scope of environmental injustice on Native lands in the U.S. Specifically it examines The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and its impacts on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North Dakota. Western colonialism and capitalism have dominated North American ecosystems since their forcible introduction hundreds of years ago, causing the commodification of natural resources and leading to injustices such as that of the “Black Snake.” However, the story of The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s resistance will be analyzed through the framework of Indigenous philosophy and environmental justice. Chapter 1 analyzes the implementation of the DAPL and …

Global Insight 2026, Masey Smith, Chance Carden, Hayley Pounds

Books

Global Insight 2026 is the annual publication of the International Institute at Mississippi State University, documenting the university’s global engagement across education, research, service, and institutional partnerships. This issue highlights Mississippi State University’s international impact through faculty‑led study abroad programs, international research and development initiatives, global fellowships, and comprehensive international student support services. Featured content includes narrative case studies of student and faculty experiences abroad, data‑driven insights into study abroad participation and international enrollment trends, and in‑depth examinations of international research collaborations spanning Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The magazine also showcases the work of the English Language Institute …

Bodies, Bottles, And Emotions: Emotional–Material Tensions In Exclusive Pumping, Jessica M. Rick

Faculty Publications - Communications

Exclusive pumping (i.e., providing breast milk solely via pumping) is increasingly common in the United States, yet remains largely invisible in public discourse. This study uses photo-elicitation interviews to examine how exclusive pumping mothers narrate the emotional and material tensions of their feeding journeys. Participants’ photographs revealed profound pride in sustaining breast milk for their children, alongside frustration at not nursing “naturally.” Participants also documented the substantial responsibilities, financial costs, and emotional labor inherent in exclusive pumping. Despite these challenges, mothers framed their experiences through cultural narratives of intensive and total motherhood, positioning exclusive pumping as a morally and socially …

Digital Diplomacy And Activism: Sustaining Institutional Legacy Through State-Proxy Discursive Competition In The Aftermath Of The Usaid 2025 Suspension, Maryam Alaa Elprince

Capstone and Graduation Projects

This study examines how the 2025 suspension of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) transformed the arena of U.S. foreign-aid diplomacy by eliminating the agency’s operational capacity and erasing its digital presence, thereby redistributing discursive authority across a fragmented communicative field. The research aims to determine how diplomacy adapts when a bilateral institution central to American soft power is dismantled through top-down decision, and whether discursive power exercised online can extend institutional relevance and legitimacy beyond structural collapse. Using an interpretivist qualitative design that combines digital-forensic reconstruction, document-based content analysis, and elite interviews  with top ranking officials, the …

Social Media, Masculine Body Ideals, And The Drive For Muscularity: A Serial Mediation Model Across Sexual Identities, Sean P. Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations

Body image concerns among men are increasingly prevalent yet remain understudied compared to women’s experiences. Drawing on objectification theory, the present study examines the relationship between social media influence and men’s drive for muscularity through a serial mediation model. Specifically, the present study investigates whether the internalization of masculine body ideals and engagement in body surveillance behaviors mediate the link between social media influence and the drive for muscularity. Furthermore, the present study model attempts to explore how these processes differ across sexual identities, given evidence that sexual minority men face distinct sociocultural pressures regarding appearance. Adult male-identifying social media …

Fuel Your Focus: The Improtance Of Diet For Listening, Lauren Martins

A. The Science of Sound

This infographic presents an overview of the importance of diet for listening. Foods affect energy, memory, concentration, and other factors that influence listening.

Crisis Communication In The Influencer Era: A Crisis Response Analysis Of Poppi And Alani Nu, Meredith E. Staley

Honors College Theses

As social media continues to reshape modern public relations practice, beverage brands like Alani Nu and Poppi offer relevant examples of influencer-driven communication and crisis response. This honors thesis compares and contrasts these brands following two major crises: Poppi’s influencer vending machine campaign and the health concerns and backlash surrounding Alani Nu’s energy drinks. Despite the well-known prevalence of these brands, there is little scholarly research examining their crisis communication strategies. Guided by Situational Crisis Communication Theory, this study uses a combination of social and news media content analysis to evaluate how each brand responded to its respective crisis. Each …

Morals Without Movement: Veganism, Contentious Politics, And The Lifestyle Politics Constraint, Luke M. Carfaro

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines whether veganism constitutes a social movement through Social Movement Theory frameworks, emphasizing Sidney Tarrow's Power in Movement. Through analysis of veganism's empirical properties (collective challenge, common purpose, collective identity, and sustained interaction) and key procedural mechanisms (framing, mobilizing structures, and repertoires of contention), this thesis determines that veganism fails to meet the empirical criteria of a social movement and is more accurately classified as a lifestyle movement—a movement in which political participation is expressed through private consumption rather than sustained collective contention. Using the Make America Healthy Again movement as a counterexample, this thesis comparatively illustrates …

The Phone Eats First: Reconfiguring Cultural Capital And Performing Taste On Tiktok’S #Torontoeats, Annie M. Willick

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study investigates how TikTok reconfigures cultural capital through the visual commodification and performative display of Toronto’s food culture using the hashtag “#TorontoEats”. Through a digital ethnographic multimodal critical discourse analysis, my research considers Bourdieu’s (1984) definition of cultural capital as the guiding definition of distinction, status, and personal taste. This analysis considers how cultural capital manifests through algorithmic engagement, adherence to platform norms, and TikTok’s multimodal format that blends video, sound, text, and gesture to entice audiences. Findings suggest that mundane food practices and activities are transformed into conspicuous commodities on TikTok, where creators position themselves as tastemakers and …

Food Access Disparities In Fulton County, Georgia: Examining Structural Barriers And Community-Level Determinants, Paige J. Perry

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Food insecurity remains a significant public health issue affecting communities at global, national, and local levels, including Atlanta, GA. Despite being an affluent and rapidly growing urban area, disparities in food access persist across Fulton County. This study examines the structural, demographic, and socioeconomic factors associated with food access at the census tract level. Using quantitative analysis, the study evaluates how geographic location, population characteristics, transportation access, and economic conditions influence the likelihood of low food access. Findings highlight significant disparities linked to transportation availability, demographic composition, and geographic variation within the county. These results underscore the importance of addressing …

2026 Document For Faculty And Staff Scholarship Spring Soirée, Kara Schleck, Diana Symons

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

No abstract provided.

America’S Spectacle: The Business Of Female Beauty In Professional Cheerleading, Marlene Adelman

Capstone Showcase

The National Football League (NFL) is built on values that also represent the deep rooted patriarchal structures within the country it exists in. The NFL is more than a game; it’s a mirror of America’s powerful subjugation of its women. Using one of the most recognizable cheerleading teams, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, this thesis aims to illustrate how gender is constructed and commodified in professional sports media, which reinforces the male gaze, furthers racial and gender inequalities, and contributes to women’s mental health and body image issues. This paper uses several theories, including male gaze, gender, and intersectionality, along with …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Youtube-Based Dietary Messaging On Type 2 Diabetes For South Asians, Sukhmani K. Dhaliwal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

While South Asians experience a disproportionately high risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), culturally tailored dietary guidance remains limited within healthcare settings. As digital platforms increasingly serve as sources of health information, YouTube has grown as a prominent space for the publishing and consumption of dietary advice. This study examines how diet-related messaging about T2DM is communicated in YouTube videos directed at South Asian populations.

Using qualitative thematic analysis, 21 videos published between 2016 and 2025 by influencers with a wide reach were analyzed. Videos were selected based on relevance to South Asian audiences, focus on dietary management of …

Too Warm To Win Big? Unpacking The Backer Dynamics Behind Female Crowdfunding Success Using A Warmth And Competence Perspective, Dan Liu

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

While crowdfunding is often heralded as a democratized funding avenue that empowers women with higher success rates, this study reveals a more nuanced picture of gender dynamics. The Stereotype Content Model suggests that women are often perceived as warmer but less competent. Using a large dataset from Kickstarter, we find that female-led projects can attract more backers, likely due to warmth-driven appeal, but receive smaller average contributions, potentially due to concerns about risk linked to lower perceived competence. However, the total funding raised by female-led campaigns is comparable to that of male-led ones, showing no clear advantage or disadvantage. This …

The Gender Binary And Its Effects On Athletes And Society At Large As Described In Newspaper Accounts Of Competitors In The Summer 2024 Olympics, Neo Zheng

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this paper is to look at the impact of gendered language and gender rhetoric on the continued social maintenance of gender, especially as it relates to athletes. This project focuses on the patterns that arise in language of news articles on two female athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics who are accused of being transgender or male, shedding light on how media outlets talk about the topic of gender in athletes specifically, and society itself more generally.