The Special Project for Communication MA students involves a communication intervention addressing a specific problem for within the University of Memphis, a community organization, a healthcare organization, or some other entity where the student can contribute to filling a communication gap. After conducting research about the problem and a proposed solution, students collaborate with the organization to create a communication intervention and then write a lengthy paper explaining the rationale of the project, a review of the literature about the theoretical and methodological background of the project, and a description of the process and expected implementation of the project.

Recent projects include:

Rachel Denzin, MA
"Digital Literacy Skills of Undergraduate Students: A Problem & Solution"

This project compared the perceptions of University of Memphis faculty and first year students with regard to a) digital literacy skills important to college success and b) students' level of competency in these skills. Survey results identified a mismatch between faculty and student ratings of student competency in the most important skills (as ranked by faculty). Three online training modules were created to address this skills gap, with specific attention paid to motivating students to see themselves as learners.

Ashley Veneman, MA
"Visually Minded: The McDaniel Family Rhetoric"

This project presented the story of a Jackson, TN family and their daily life as they cope with having two out of their three children living with autism. Combining still photography, audio interviews, and textual narrative, this project was realized as a web-based, multimedia documentary, grounded in standpoint theory, narrative paradigm, and agenda-setting theory.

Shannon Little, MA
"Redeveloping Overton Square: A Community Awareness Campaign for Memphis Heritage"

This project focused on the non-profit organization Memphis Heritage's efforts to create awareness in the Memphis community surrounding the redevelopment plans for the Overton Square neighborhood. Combining an organizational audit with community surveys the project identified Memphis Heritage's communication strengths and weaknesses and then developed and implemented the community awareness campaign using a combination of print and social media, including a revamped website, Twitter feed, Facebook presence, and boilerplate press releases.

Cami Fields, MA
“Patient and Family-Centered Care at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital”

This project focused on the needs of chronically ill older adolescents and young adults who need to transition from pediatric to adult care. Cami discovered that these patients often experience lapses in communication, and thus a lack of continuity of care, when they move from a children’s hospital, with pediatricians whom they have known all their lives, to an adult hospital with new physicians. After extensive interviews with patients, family members, and physicians, Cami developed a journal for the patients to keep from childhood through adolescence. It includes information about their lives, as well as medical information that new physicians need to know.

Tracy McLaughlin, MA
“Communication Issues Between Veterinarians and Their Clients"

This project centered on communication between pet owners and veterinarians about cancer treatment for pets. Tracy conducted a series of interviews with pet owners and veterinarians, including a veterinary oncologist. She also collected data from a survey of pet owners about their communication experience about their pet’s cancer. She then developed two communication packages, one for veterinarians and one for pet owners. Each package contained a poster and booklet, with guidance in asking and answering questions about feline or canine cancer.

Recent thesis includes:

Charlotte Nau, MA
Thesis: "The impact of gender, verbal aggressiveness, and party identification-based bias on speaker and message perception in political speeches." 

This thesis comprises a series of three experiments testing how verbally aggressive attacks from political speakers influences message recipients' opinions about the speaker and message. Charlotte presented her thesis research at the 2012 International Communication Association conference in Phoenix, AZ, and a second paper based on her thesis will be presented at the 2013 Southern States Communication Association convention in Louisville, KY.