Grady Research Radio

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.

The film industry in Georgia is flourishing. Generating $4.4 billion for the state last fiscal year, film and TV productions made in Georgia include a long list of box office top earning feature films, streaming programming, commercials, music videos and independent films. Spider-Man: No Way Home, Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, Stranger Things, and Loki are just several of the hundreds of productions made in Georgia in recent years.

So, it only makes sense for the University of Georgia to have a top of the line MFA film program, capable of pumping highly trained filmmakers into the marketplace. In this episode, we speak with Neil Landau, the executive director of the MFA in Film Television and Digital Media, about what the program has to offer.

The application deadline to join the program’s next cohort is Feb. 15, 2023.

Brands and organizations want to attract consumers and gain their trust. Accomplishing both of these tasks, though, is no easy feat. Two factors that greatly impact the attractiveness of advertisements and consumer trust are the personalization of advertisements — adding names and images to ads, for example — and disclosing if and how an advertisement, whether its an image, video or user review, may be manipulated or influenced by a brand.

In this episode, Dr. Alexander Pfeuffer, an assistant professor of advertising in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Grady College, speaks about his research addressing those very questions.

A discussion with game studies researcher, author and associate professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies Dr. Shira Chess about her research, why video games may not get the attention they deserve, and what the future may hold for the field. 

A conversation with Dr. Karin Assmann, an assistant professor in the Journalism Department and director of the Qualitative Research Lab, a lab for any Grady College graduate or undergraduate student who wants to pursue qualitative research, which involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data, such as talking to people or conducting thematic content analysis. She explains recent research that has come from the lab and offers insight into how those interested can get involved. 

A conversation with Dr. Glenna Read, assistant professor of advertising and director of the Brain, Body and Media (BBAM) Lab, which is used to research psychophysiological reactions to different forms of media and messages. Dr. Read discusses the functions of the lab, recent research conducted in the lab, and how those interested can get involved. 

Grady College's Department of Journalism was recently named one of the nation's first solutions journalism hubs, a designation given to only three other colleges in the United States. We check in with Grady's solutions journalism experts Dr. Amanda Bright, Dr. Kyser Lough and Ralitsa Vassileva, who explain what solutions journalism is, what the new designation means, and how students, educators and professionals in the region can get involved.