{"id":28025,"date":"2019-10-26T06:00:59","date_gmt":"2019-10-26T11:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/?p=28025"},"modified":"2019-10-25T22:15:05","modified_gmt":"2019-10-26T03:15:05","slug":"apsu-graduate-students-sweep-awards-at-state-communication-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/2019\/10\/26\/apsu-graduate-students-sweep-awards-at-state-communication-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"APSU graduate students sweep awards at State Communication Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AustinClarksville, TN<\/strong> – Two Austin Peay State University (APSU) graduate students recently swept the graduate paper awards at the Kentucky Communication Association\/Tennessee Communication Association State Conference at Lake Barkley, Kentucky.<\/p>\n

\"Austin<\/a>

Austin Peay State University\u2019s Rebecca Rider, from the left, Dr. Tracy Nichols and Hailey Perry show off their conference awards. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

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And their mentor \u2013 APSU assistant professor Dr. Tracy Nichols \u2013 won the Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor Award at the same conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude,\u201d said Rebecca Rider, who\u2019s pursuing a Master of Arts in Communication Arts with a concentration in marketing communication and who won first place in the competition. \u201cTruthfully, the last award I received was over 13 years ago, and it feels amazing to be recognized for something I\u2019ve been trying to master since I could pick up a pencil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hailey Perry, who\u2019s pursuing an M.A. in Communication Arts with a concentration in general communication and finished second, echoed the thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing other people react positively to my research was the most rewarding part of this experience,\u201d she said. \u201cBoth of my papers were pieces that I had worked tirelessly on, so the validation I received helped motivate me through this semester when I found myself doubting my abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rider\u2019s paper: An exploration of identity\u2019s role in health decisions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rider\u2019s paper explored the correlation between the communication theory of identity and health\/wellness-related decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo the personas we identify within advertisements have an impact on whether we decide to take action, such as joining a gym, quitting smoking, seeing your primary care provider?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Rider credited the passion she has for health and wellness for realizing the impact such decisions have on our everyday lives. She has worked in health care marketing for four years, and her husband is an M.D. resident.<\/p>\n

[320left]\u201cMy paper was written to speak to marketing communications professionals like myself who may need guidance in communicating the confusing and ever-changing world of health care\/wellness effectively,\u201d she added. \u201cWith vaping and lung injury illnesses sweeping the headlines, it\u2019s more important now than ever to focus on what is being advertised to adolescents and how these ads are causing people to make decisions that could have a fatal impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

The title of Rider\u2019s paper was \u201cThe Communication Theory of Identity: Exploring the Correlation to Health and Wellness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perry\u2019s paper: An analysis of the importance of grief communication<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before joining Austin Peay State University\u2019s graduate program, Perry knew she wanted to research grief communication.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel strongly about this topic, and it is an area that needs further expanding,\u201d she said. \u201cSince being in the program, I\u2019ve utilized many opportunities to take different approaches into the realm of communication surrounding loss and death.\u201d<\/p>\n

As with Rider and health care\/wellness, Perry thinks her passion for grief communication \u2013 ultimately a difficult topic to cover \u2013 helped her paper succeed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI continue to look for new ways to explore this area of communication,\u201d she added. \u201cDr. Nichols and (Department of Communication Chair) Dr. Robert Baron gave great advice during the writing process, and I think that their attention made a huge impact on the quality of my work.\u201d<\/p>\n

The title of Perry\u2019s paper was \u201cHow Sequencing Theory Predicts Limitations in Conversations on Grief.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Faculty members who care deeply about student achievement\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The awards speak to Austin Peay State University\u2019s focus on student success, Rider and Perry said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it says a lot about the dedication of our students and the faculty,\u201d Rider said. \u201cOver the last two years, every single one of my professors has made it a point to personally invest in my success. I think that\u2019s something many students at Austin Peay experience, and something we should be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n

[320right]Perry also cherishes her Austin Peay experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we swept the category, I was honestly thinking about how fortunate I am that I chose to pursue my degree at APSU,\u201d she said. \u201cLooking around our table, I saw numerous faculty members and a department chair who care deeply about student achievement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nichols exemplifies that, they said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Nichols loves seeing students succeed, and it is apparent by the smile that comes across her face when a student makes connections with course material,\u201d Perry said. \u201cShe believes in giving her students amazing opportunities because of her teaching motto of \u2018live it, learn it,\u201d and that is exactly where I found myself at the KCA\/TCA conference.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more<\/strong><\/p>\n