A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
Elizabeth Johnson-Young and Michael Stebar on WFVA’s Town Talk.
Associate Professor of Communications Elizabeth Johnson-Young and Senior Lecturer of Biological Sciences Michael Stebar appeared on News Talk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk to discuss the six-day slice of college coursework and campus life for high-schoolers available at UMW in July 13-19. The UMW Summer Enrichment Program is open to rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. Listen to the episode.
Associate Professor of Communication, Elizabeth Johnson-Young
Associate Professor of Communication, Elizabeth Johnson-Young, presented research at the National Communication Association annual convention hosted in New Orleans, LA. Johnson-Young presented her research regarding pediatric and family communication surrounding firearm safety during a panel she organized that focused on the role of health communication scholars in this area of health and safety. While at NCA, Johnson-Young also took part in a full day of mentorship for graduate students and early career faculty in health communication. During the mentorship day, she presented pedagogical and experiential learning strategies and participated in small group discussions on publication strategies, teaching strategies and experiential learning, and the job market and tenure, among other topics.
Mary Washington faculty share expertise on ‘With Good Reason,’ a national radio program that inspires thought, discovery and action through public engagement and dialogue on topics that shape our world.
Imposter syndrome, photoshopping, the complexities of foreign alliances, political humor, the magic of Disney World and shared musical experiences – these are just a few of the topics on which University of Mary Washington professors have contributed their expertise over the radio airwaves this past year.
UMW is proud to announce the continued success of its collaboration with Virginia Humanities’ With Good Reason radio program, which brings the research and insights of Virginia’s top educators to audiences across the nation. Each week, over 100,000 listeners tune in to 128 radio stations throughout Virginia, Washington, D.C., and 38 states to hear thought-provoking discussions with leading academics. Thousands more listen to the episodes through iTunes podcasts.
The partnership between UMW and Virginia Humanities helps showcase valuable work in Virginia’s higher education system. Since last summer, a dozen Mary Washington faculty members were featured on With Good Reason, either as new guests or in re-aired episodes that continue to draw audiences. Read more.
Associate Professor of Communication Elizabeth Johnson-Young
Associate Professor of Communication Elizabeth Johnson-Young spoke with the With Good Reason public radio show about her research on birth trauma. As part of an episode regarding care for mothers, Dr. Johnson-Young talked about her qualitative interviews with mothers who experienced what they defined as traumatic or difficult, the results of which were published earlier this year. Listen to the episode.
Associate Professors of Communication, Dr. Adria Goldman and Dr. Elizabeth Johnson-Young, and Assistant Professor of Communication, Dr. Emily Crosby, presented at the Eastern Communication Association’s Annual Conference in Cambridge, MA. Their panel, titled “Social Media and the Changing Current of Health Messaging and Debates,” focused on research surrounding discussions of health, particularly related to diet and weight, in social media outlets. Joined by colleagues from Bunker Hill Community College and Norfolk State University, the panelists each took different topics and methodologies to explore this important area of research.
Dr. Johnson-Young’s presentation, “Sugar, Snacks, and Weight: An Examination of Posts and Parent Reactions to the Challenges of Nutritional Health Norms on the Growing Intuitive Eaters Instagram” discussed a qualitative content analysis of a popular instagram influencer’s posts and user comments. The research is rooted both health behavior theory and non-evaluative and trust-based communication around food and nutrition. Preliminary findings show a variety of themes regarding reactions to the influencer’s, Dr. Taylor Arnold, posts from anger and resistance to relief and excitement.
Dr. Goldman’s research presentation, titled “#SocialSupport: Examining the Informative and Emotional Functions of Bariatric Surgery Support Groups on Facebook” investigates the social support functions of bariatric surgery support groups. Taking a qualitative thematic analysis, this research investigates the instrumental and emotional functions identified in social support research, applying these to the specific support needs demonstrated in the literature and in the groups for bariatric surgery.
Dr. Crosby’s presentation, titled “The Digital Cult of Thinness: Critically Engaging Ozempic “Success Stories” on Social Media,” investigates the discourse surrounding Ozempic in social media platforms. Employing feminist rhetorical criticism informed by visual rhetoric scholarship, Dr. Crosby analyzes posts and commentary to identify themes and conventions that emerge from Ozempic weight loss “success stories” on social media. The aim of this research is to contribute to communication scholarship by defining a digital Cult of Thinness based on current social media conventions that promote injectable weight loss drugs for women.
Assistant Professor of Communication Elizabeth Johnson-Young
Elizabeth Johnson-Young, Associate Professor of Communication, published her work regarding birth trauma experiences in the journal, Qualitative Research Reports in Communication. Stemming from research conducted as part of her Jepson fellowship in 2021, this article reports on the results of qualitative in-depth interviews of women who defined their births as difficult or traumatic. With the increased attention on the still rising maternal mortality rates in the United States and issues such as postpartum depression, this research is an important contribution to the very limited published research in communication on the topic. Themes from the data focused on perceptions and definitions of experiences, as well as the consequences of those perceptions. These findings are then discussed through the lens of Muted Group Theory and the concept of rhetorical ingenuity in uncertainty management, and practical implications for practitioners are briefly discussed, as well.
The article is currently available online and will printed in the next issue. https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/9BFUGKRZRUACHYD6YDNG/full?target=10.1080/17459435.2024.2307054
Associate Professor of Communication Elizabeth Johnson-Young
Associate Professor of Communication Elizabeth Johnson-Young presented her paper, “Birth, Trauma, and Communicating Maternal Health” at the annual conference of the Eastern Communication Association in Baltimore, Maryland. The paper was presented during a panel hosted by the Health Communication division focused on maternal and reproductive health. The paper focused on birth choices, experiences, and perceptions of traumatic or challenging birth experiences. Maternal and postpartum health is a topic of importance in the United States, given increasing maternal mortality rates (MacDorman, Declercg, Cabral, & Morton, 2016), recognition of factors involved in postpartum depression and anxiety, and increasing rates of inductions and cesarean births (c-sections) despite the risks that come with them (Betran et al., 2018; Sandall et al., 2018). Birth trauma and psychological responses to birth trauma most often refer to situations in which the mother’s or child’s life is put at risk (i.e. NIH, 2013); however, a simple search on social and popular media reveals a host of other experiences women may have that they define as traumatic, the consequences of which can impact their mental health, who they trust when it comes to their maternal healthcare, and future decisions regarding birth. The project addressed the research question: What communication choices and strategies do women use after a negative birth experience? Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews of women who personally define their birth experience as difficult or traumatic, the paper discussed the potential consequences of listening, language, and support.
Assistant Professor of Communication Adria Goldman, and Professor of Communication and Communication and Digital Studies Department Chair Anand Rao also presented at the conference on March 30, 2023. Their panel, Collaborative Team-Based and Experiential Learning as a Path to Student Innovation in Communication, which included Johnson-Young, explored examples and lessons from team-based collaborative learning experiences from multiple institutions. During the interactive discussion, panel members brought expertise from their classrooms and roles in their school that demonstrated purposeful collaborative learning. In each of the cases, a focus on student engagement with one another and the outside community was key, as students learned to situate themselves as communication scholars and practitioners. UMW presenters shared examples and ideas from Visual Rhetoric, Senior Seminar in Digital Rhetoric, and Small Group Communication. Panel members from other institutes presented projects from courses such as Public Relations and Game Design.
NCA 2020 Presentation Panel
Adria Goldman, Emily Crosby, and Elizabeth Johnson-Young presented a panel at the National Communication Association’s virtual conference. The paper session, “You Can’t Call Them Crazy”: Framing and Considerations of Gender, Sexuality, and Mental Health in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” shared the panelists’ research from a variety of lenses and methodologies regarding the messaging and impact of the CW musical-comedy television series that ran from 2015-2019.
Johnson-Young’s presentation, “The Situation is a Lot More Nuanced Than That:” A Qualitative Analysis of Women’s Mental Health in the Humor and Music of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” investigated the ways in which the show’s music and humor, particularly feminist humor, was used throughout the series to communicate and challenge traditional media messaging of mental health and gender biases in health. Goldman’s presentation, The Awkward Revolution: A Framing Analysis of Awkwardness, Humor, and Sexuality in Rachel Bloom’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” explored how humor and music were used as rhetorical devices to present new representations of women’s sexuality, while also challenging existing, problematic narratives. Crosby’s presentation, “Type A Ambition”: Postfeminist Tropes in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” explored the postfeminist themes in contemporary media that often unfavorably frame ambitious women as personally unfulfilled and unlikable. Deeper rhetorical analysis reveals that the series pushes back against postfeminist tropes, providing a more nuanced depiction of complicated characters who subvert postfeminist pitfalls that oversimplify “having it all.”
A message from the Provost.
To all faculty and staff:
As we end the academic year and head into summer activity, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the significant work of the Center for Teaching and announce some changes. As you are aware, the Center for Teaching (along with Digital Learning Support) played a critical role in supporting our efforts to transition to remote instruction this past spring. The Center for Teaching is now fully engaged in summer faculty development and preparations for fall.
It is important to recognize that the foundation for this effort owes much to the leadership of Dr. Caitie Finlayson who served on special assignment as the Faculty Program Director during the past two years. Caitie’s task was to work with faculty to plan and develop a Center for Teaching responsive to the needs and interests of our diverse faculty. Thanks to her efforts, the Center has a clear direction, offers a variety of programs and resources, and works collaboratively with other areas to provide faculty development and support.
As part of this effort, Caitie also led the national search for a full-time administrator for the Center, which brought us one of our own: Dr. Victoria Russell. I am pleased to share that Victoria will now continue on in an expanded role as the Director of the Teaching Center.
This summer, Caitie has elected to conclude her special assignment having successfully completed the task of designing and launching the Center for Teaching. I know you join me in thanking Caitie for her outstanding service and leadership to the University over the past two years, and in welcoming Victoria to her additional responsibilities.
We are also pleased to announce that Dr. Elizabeth Johnson-Young has accepted a position as a Faculty Fellow in the Center for Teaching. Elizabeth will be joining our current Faculty Fellow, Dr. Melissa Wells, in providing teaching support through consultations and program initiatives. Elizabeth brings experience in digital and online practices, as well as an interdisciplinary understanding of effective teaching, that will strengthen the Center’s continued growth and collaboration with our Digital Learning Support colleagues.
Nina Mikhalevsky
Provost
Communications Professor and Chair Anand Rao, who is facilitating the eight-week “COVID-19 in Context” series with Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger, taught Monday’s course on how messaging about the pandemic impacts policies, along with Assistant Communications Professor Elizabeth Johnson-Young.
Political leaders and health experts who communicate the impact of COVID-19 to the public are just like anyone else. Some hit the mark. Some don’t. Understandable terms, relatable ideas and the confident presentation of useful information are key to delivering a successful message, said UMW Professor of Communication Anand Rao.
And competent public discourse during pandemic-scale events, he said, can mean the difference between life and death.
The lesson, delivered Monday, was part of UMW’s COVID-19 in Context, a series of biweekly lectures that turn the virus holding the world captive inside out, examining everything from its economic impact to its influence on art. Created for current and incoming students who can receive academic credit, and offered for free to all, it’s quickly become UMW’s largest course ever. More than 1,900 registered participants are in 39 states, plus Washington, D.C., and countries across the globe, including Canada, England, France, Switzerland, Japan and Ghana.
“We have been floored by the response,” said Rao, who presented Monday’s course – “Communicating COVID-19: How We Talk About a Pandemic Changes What We Do” – with assistant professor Elizabeth Johnson-Young live via Zoom.
Nearly 40 faculty members from across the university – from fine arts and humanities to the sciences and social sciences – joined forces, along with guest speakers, agreeing to share their expertise on all facets of the pandemic. Beginning last week with a biological exploration of the virus and a look at how it affects public policy, 16 hourlong sessions take place on Mondays and Wednesdays through July 22. Read more.