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The award-winning collaborative research—a paper titled “From Posts to Protests: Public and Private Social Media Expression as a Pathway to Political Discourse”—is based on Kylie Smith’s capstone research project in the master’s in strategic communication program, which was directed by communication professor David Painter. The study examines how public and private forms of social media expression shape pathways to political discourse, offering timely insights into digital communication, civic engagement, and political behavior.

The BEA is the nonprofit academic arm of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), and its annual conventions are held together. This alignment places BEA research presentations alongside one of the largest global gatherings of media, technology, and broadcasting professionals, making the conference a highly competitive and visible venue for scholarly work.

Smith’s achievement reflects the strategic communication program’s emphasis on research-driven learning and close faculty mentorship. Her collaborations with Vierrether and Painter exemplify the program’s capstone-to-conference pipeline, which supports graduate students in developing original research with national reach.

This recognition underscores Rollins’ growing reputation for producing impactful communication research that bridges academic theory, media practice, and civic life.

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