Four University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications students have been accepted into the University Scholars Program for 2016-2017. The program introduces students to academic research by offering the opportunity to work one-on-one with UF faculty on selected research projects. Acceptance is very competitive and only 200 students from academic disciplines across campus are chosen.

Public Relations students Folashade John and Aaron Zieler and Advertising major Maxwell Sanders will be mentored by Janice Krieger, director of the STEM Translational Communication Center. Advertising student Nhi Le will be mentored by Assistant Professor of Advertising Lu Zheng.

Here is a brief profile of each of the University Scholars participants.

Folashade John is a public relations major with a minor in communication studies. John feels that conducting research will set her apart from her peers, improve her communication skills and gain relationships with successful professionals. She is interested in testing the use of social media messages to encourage more involvement in cancer research.

John is a member of the UF African Student Union, Beta Eta Honor Society and NAACP. She plans to pursue a Master’s degree in management and to one day own a successful management company.

Aaron Zeiler, a third-year public relations major, will focus on the area of public health to determine how people interpret health messages. He plans to focus on why minorities are under-represented in cancer research. Zeiler feels that successful campaigns need to be research-based and the University Scholars Program will help him hone his skillset.

Zeiler is involved in many student organizations including Golden Key and PRSSA. He is a member of the Florida Club Swimming and Diving Team, a contributing writer to the Independent Florida Alligator and is the current social media director for frank.

Future plans include a career in the field of public interest communications most likely focusing on tobacco cessation and prevention.

Nhi Le is an advertising major interested in intercultural communication and education research. She would like to study how education and social activities can unite people of different cultures and backgrounds. She wants to see whether or not personality plays a role in one’s intercultural communication competency and how this knowledge can contribute to a quality experience for international students and UF as a whole.

Le spent part of her childhood in New Zealand and Singapore and most of her life in Vietnam. She became interested in research when she was very young while her mother was pursuing a Ph.D. degree. Her mother is her role model and she shares the same passion for discovery and exploration.

Le enjoys art, music, writing, photography, mindfulness meditation, learning about the philosophies of Buddhism and sharing her culture with others. Future plans focus on following her passion and include working with a company or advertising firm to conduct research on how to enhance people’s well-being through art.

Maxwell Sanders is an advertising major with a minor in packaging science. His research interests include health communication, consumer behavior and advertising effectiveness. Sanders would like to find the most effective advertising for participants in health-related research trials. He became interested in research while working with Dr. Krieger’s research team in the fall of 2015. To his surprise, he learned that research and the analysis of data is more creative than he could have ever imagined.

Sanders is a member of Ad Society and enjoys surfing, lifting weights and SEC football. After graduation he plans to work internationally as a strategist in an ad agency and then pursue an MBA. With the advanced degree, he plans focus on the client side as a brand manager and agency leadership opportunities.

Posted: April 8, 2016
Category: College News, Student Awards
Tagged as: University Scholars Program