Office of Undergraduate Research

Communication and Media

Faculty Mentors

Andre Favors, M.S.

Department:  Communication

Email: afavors@lamar.edu

Faculty web page: https://www.lamar.edu/fine-arts-communication/communication/faculty/andre-favors.html

Research interests:

  • Health studies (especially HIV/AIDS)
  • LGBTQ studies
  • New media studies
  • Qualitative research
  • Rhetorical approaches.

Appropriate majors:

  • Communication
  • English
  • Sociology
  • Health-related majors

Stephan Malick, M.Ed.

Department: Communication and Media

Email: smalick@lamar.edu

Link to faculty web page: https://www.lamar.edu/fine-arts-communication/communication/faculty/stephan-malick.html

Research interests:

  • Solutions journalism
  • Local news engagement
  • Community journalism
  • Disinformation/misinformation mitigation
  • Strategic communications
  • Media and community responsibility relationships
  • First Amendment issues
  • Media literacy
  • General history
  • Texas history
  • Media entrepreneurship

Appropriate majors:

  • All communication
    • Journalism
    • Advertising
    • Public Relations
    • Strategic Communication
  • Business majors in marketing and entrepreneurship

Nicki Michalski, Ph.D.

Department: Communication

Email: nicki.michalski@lamar.edu

Research interests:

  • Pop culture in communication

Appropriate majors:

  • Communication

Awais Saleem, Ph.D.

Department: Communication and Media

Email: sawais@lamar.edu

Link to faculty web page: https://www.lamar.edu/fine-arts-communication/communication/faculty/awais-saleem.html

Research interests:

  • Qualitative research
  • Framing
  • New technologies in media
  • Social media
  • Political communication
  • Environmental communication

Appropriate majors:

  • Social sciences

Sheila Springer, Ph.D.

Department: Communication and Media

Email: sspringer@lamar.edu

Research interests:

  • Interpersonal
  • Intergroup
  • Mass communication

My primary research has looked at the influence of media on audience attitudes (e.g., aging attitudes, stereotypes, and political ideology in relationships) to understand better how communication is improved.

Appropriate majors:

  • Communication Studies

Qingjiang Yao, Ph.D.

Department: Communication

Email: qingjiang.yao@lamar.edu

Research interests:

  • Media effects and public opinion
  • Science communication

Appropriate majors:

  • Communication