Mercer Times

According to Professor Nancy Harrington, the organizer of a prominent health communication conference, students from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) are recognized as national leaders in undergraduate paper presentations. Her remarks followed the participation of three TCNJ undergraduates and one graduate student at the Kentucky Health Communication Conference (KCHC 2024) on April 5 in Lexington, Kentucky.

Harrington noted that since 2006, TCNJ students have been leading participants in undergraduate research presentations at this biennial conference. She stated: "Since 2006, when students from TCNJ first began presenting their research at the Kentucky Conference on Health Communication... they have been far and away the leaders in undergraduate participation."

The papers presented were co-authored in classes taught by John C. Pollock, a professor of communication studies and public health at TCNJ. Pollock expressed pride in his students' work on diverse topics such as abortion access, birth control access, opioid misuse, and water pollution coverage.

Students appreciated the experience gained through their participation. Chandler Storcella described it as an "exceptional experience," while Roman Fabbricatore was impressed by the array of health communication frameworks discussed. Shannon Allen found it to be one of her most rewarding experiences, and Jessica Munyan considered it an honor to present her work.

Susan Ryan, chair of the Department of Communication Studies at TCNJ, praised the students' achievements: "We continue to be impressed by the exemplary work in Dr. Pollock’s classes." Carole Kenner, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, echoed this sentiment: "The School... is delighted that students representing health communication concentrations have become exemplars for other students nationwide."