Grady Research Radio

Dr. Bartosz Wojdynski is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism, a Jim Kennedy New Media Professor, and the Director of the Digital Media Attention and Cognition (DMAC) Lab here at Grady College. He currently teaches courses in multimedia journalism, interactive media, and the psychological effects of communication technology. His work with the DMAC Lab focuses on better understanding how humans interact with AI-generated content, and aims to inform people on the importance of media literacy in the ever-evolving digital landscape. This week, Grady Research Radio had the privilege to sit down with Dr. Wojdynski and discuss his latest research endeavors and how he's applying his findings to the classroom setting.

Lauren Musgrove, an assistant professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies at Grady College, teaches Production Basics and Intro to Cinematography. Outside of the classroom, she is the co-founder and co-owner of Purple Magnet Productions, a female-led production company that started up in 2020. She is also working with the Athens Film Festival and is a judge for the student-led backlight Film Festival this year. This week, Grady Research Radio hd the privilege to sit down with her and discuss her career.

In this episode of Grady Research Radio, Professor Musgrove discusses her filmmaking career as it relates to her career in education. She shares advice on  finding success in such a competitive industry, and the importance of being both a self-starter and a team player in the field of entertainment. 

Kim Landrum is a senior lecturer in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Grady College. She teaches Social Media Content and Production, Integrated AdPR Campaigns, and Podcast Branding and Production, among other courses, at the College. Landrum is also the faculty advisor for the UGA chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). 

In this episode, guest host Jin Lee, a fourth-year Public Relations major, Yarbrough Fellow and the director of DEI and Outreach for UGA PRSSA, talks with Landrum about her career in communication, how she approaches teaching and mentoring students, managing work-life balance, and even her favorite local restaurants.

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru (MA ’96, PhD ’99) is a professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Grady College and the recent recipient of a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award. 

In this episode of Grady Research Radio, Acosta-Alzuru takes us through her research path, which largely focuses on the links between media, culture and society, centering specifically on melodramatic television series in Latin America and Turkey, which are two of the world’s largest exporters of such series. Her work has been cited more than 1,100 times, and she is the author of three books focusing on telenovelas.

Acosta-Alzuru also answers questions about her recent recognition as a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar, her award-winning teaching methods, and more.

Booker T. Mattison, an associate professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies at Grady College, teaches screenwriting and directing for the screen courses at Grady and actively works as writer, director and filmmaker.

In this episode of Grady Research Radio, Mattison takes us through his career, sharing his inspirations, the aspects of his work that stand out to him, how his professional work influences his teaching practices, and more.

In this episode of Grady Research Radio, Dr. Hye Jin Yoon takes us through her research path, largely inspired by what she describes as the “healing power of humor” and how it can be used for the greater good in advertising and communication, specifically when communicating complex or serious topics, such as health or the environment. 

Dr. Yoon goes on to explain how she prioritizes research with real-world implications, outlines her more recent projects, including work focused on sustainability, and dives into how her research influences her teaching practices.

For a large portion of his career as a researcher, Dr. Nathaniel Evans has looked at areas of advertising that were on the Federal Trade Commission's radar about potentially being deceptive and, through his research and from a consumer protection standpoint, has offered insights and recommendations on what advertisers should do differently. 

In this episode of Grady Research Radio, Dr. Evans walks listeners through his research path, speaks about creating tangible benefits to society through his research, explains how his research influences his teaching, and dives into his most recent work, which focuses on advertising techniques to increase vaccination intention, specifically the HPV vaccine. 

Dr. Ahn, director of the Center for Advanced Computer-Human Ecosystems (CACHE) Lab at Grady College, dives into her research testing and analyzing how virtual reality can be used as a tool to improve lives and prepare people for unforeseen circumstances, such as a natural disaster. Dr. Ahn also speaks about the rapid evolution of virtual reality over the past decade and predicts a future for the field.

Dr. Andrea Hudson (ABJ ‘12, PhD ‘21), a lecturer in the Department of Journalism at Grady College, teaches a variety of journalism classes, including photojournalism and reporting and writing across platforms. Broadly, her research is grounded in visual communication and women’s studies. 

In this episode, Dr. Hudson speaks about her passion for the power images and visual journalism, as well as a few of her recent research projects, including a study on front page photo decisions made by Georgia newspapers during the 2022 midterm elections, a study on the shift from in-house to freelance work for many photojournalists, and an analysis of newspapers’ Instagram posts covering the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

Dr. Denetra Walker, an assistant professor in the Journalism Department, started her role in fall 2022. While she’s still new to the College, her research draws from years of experience both studying the topic of social justice journalism and working in several behind-the-scenes roles in television news markets in Augusta, Georgia, New York, Houston, Las Vegas and Columbia, South Carolina. 

Walker’s research focuses on the experiences of journalists of color and those who are marginalized and underrepresented in the news media. She’s interested in how protests and movements, such as Black Lives Matter, and historic events, such as the civil rights and women’s rights movements, have been portrayed by news organizations. 

She looks at what and how news organizations are covering those events in real time, as well as what it is like for, specifically journalists of color, covering things that are so close to their lived experiences.