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Communication Studies Senior Projects
2007-2013
Spring 2013
Christine Piela-Job Interview Communication Behaviors of Graduating Seniors
Kristyn Emmer-Strong-Armed and Stuck: Constructing University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Student Veterans' Organizational Identification
Kristin Riniker-Becoming Better Leaders: Communication Skill Development through Student Leadership
Amanda Sturm-Uncovering the Cultured Classroom: International Students' Perceptions of their American Professors' Communication in the Collegiate Classroom
Caitie Mayer-Source Credibility, Message Strength, and Gender in the Field of Public Relations
Mary Coan-Social Media Usage and Dangerous Drinking Habits in Of-Age College Students
Amber Mazola-"Just Tell Me": How Parents Disclose Their Cancer Diagnosis to Their Children
Katie Camann-"You Don't Want To Be That American": An Examination of Responses to Stereotypes About Americans That College Students Encounter While Studying Abroad
Jena Schneider-Can We Still Be Friends? A Qualitative Analysis of the Maintenance Strategies Described By Ex-Relational Partners
Hayley Bassett- Topic Avoidance and Interracial Friendship Development
Izzy Sullivan-Self-Disclosure of Depression
Justin Conway-"Mixed" Messages: An Examination of How Interracial Romantic Couples Perceive Social Support and Respond to Face-Threatening Acts
Sutton Lecker-A Study of Communicative Management of the Relationship between Coach and Athlete Who Are Also Parent and Child
Sarah Smith-Interpretation of the Salesperson: Communication Decisions Behind Advertising
Scott Schell-The Cost of Coming Clean: A Study of How Parents Disclose to Their Children About Drug Abuse
Taylor Lubich-How Nonprofit Organizations Use Facebook and Twitter to Communicate with the Public
Becky Vraga-"That Was Such a Huge Thing That He Disclosed to Me": The Communicative Reaction of Friends to Coming Out Messages
Emily Aplin-The Glass Ceiling: Relayed Messages and Their Impact on College-Aged Women
Emily Dixon-Employer Communication and Employee Engagement
Kenny Rosales- Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship on Facebook
Emily Stacken-Guy Talk: A Study of Male Friendship Communication and Self-Disclosure
Olivia Allen- The Role of Nonverbal Touch Behavior in Affection between Siblings
Sarah Wilcox- Siblings, Bullying, and Emotional Support
Hannah Mountford-Does Resident Assistant Association Really Work?
Thomas Schmidt-School Counselors Breaking Confidentiality of Students Who Engage in Risk-Taking Behavior: An Application of Communication Privacy Management Theory
Abby Donskey-How Do They Do It? Understanding Cross-Sex Roommates
Laura Jelich-Comparing Communication Between Adopted and Non-Adopted Siblings
Casey Seneczko-When Harry Became Sally: The Communication of Violence in the Trans* Community
Chance Dickman-SportsCenter's Communication of Men's and Women's Sports Content
Caity Spitzack-The Effects of Sibling Communication on Romantic Relationships
Ashley Cary-Mass Media: Credibility of Coverage of Female Athletes
Chloe Stoker-Narratives of Victim Communication Post Sexual Harassment: A Standpoint Theory
Casey Koenig-A Quantitative Study of Organizational Culture's Effects on Employees' Organizational Identification and Job Satisfaction in Restaurants
Jon Payne- College Roommate Friendship Communication
Joey Curtin-Do This, Not That: A Study on the Influential Communicative Strategies Guardians Use on Young Adults in College, and Their Responses to these Strategies
Emily Kitslaar-I Hate My Roommate: A Study of How UW-L College Freshmen Living in the Residence Halls Communicatively Manage Conflict
Grant Katarow-YouTube Consumers Perceive the Videos That They Watch as Agenda-Setting
David Baxley-Leading Multigenerational Churches: Looking at Generational Expectations from Leadership to Create Change
Alex Molnau-The Effects of Age Differences on Communication in the Workplace
Sam Wehausen-Persuasion of the Downtown La Crosse Bars
Hana Tanberg-You're Funny; I Like That: Examining the Shared Humor Experience in Intragroup and Intergroup Settings
Daniel Button-Self-Disclosure of ADD/ADHD
Barb Haggerty-Behind the Scenes: A Qualitative Study of How Self-Disclosure Influences Families with Multiple Sclerosis
Barbara Nitke-Show Me the Money: A Qualitative Study on Specific Sales Techniques Impact Customer Satisfaction and Purchase Intention Purchase Intention
Sarah Swartz-Developing Trust Through Outdoor Leader Attributes and Leadership Styles
Steven Brooks-The Effects of Coaches Communication Competence on the Identification Levels of Male and Female Athletes
Brianna Bennett-Continuing the Conversation: A Study of Relationship Maintenance by Bereaved College Students
Nathan Jones-Oh Excuse Me, I Didn't See You There: A Qualitative Study of Perceptions of Disabled People in Public
Dorothy Her-Violence Against Hmong Women: A Study of How Domestic Violence is Talked About in the La Crosse Area Hmong Community
Kate St. Mary-The Influence of Superior-Subordinate Relationship on Communication Satisfaction and Organizational Assimilation
Lindsay Swiggum-An Executive's View: Communicating in One on One Conversations, Social Settings, and Speaking in Public
Corissa Raska-Child Sexual Abuse and Romantic Partners: Initial Disclosure and Relationship Development
Claire Oslund- Public Art or Persuasive Art?: A Study of Persuasion in the Process of Creating Public Art
Taylor Linstrom- Going the Distance: The Study of Long Distance Communication between International Students and their Families
Tyler Fritz-Self-Esteem and Player-Coach Communication
Corey Zastrow-Manager Communication with Employees During and After Termination
Jessica Pierce- Taking Another Look: College Students’ Perceptions of Credibility of Persuasive Blogs
Chelsea Roscovius-It's Our Normal: Parents' Interactions and Turning Points Involving Their Child on the Autism Spectrum
Jenna Bent-You Do Not Have What It Takes: A Rhetorical Criticism of the Television Show Ink Master
Rebecca Pupp-Flying with the Eagle: Organizational Identification and Communication Satisfaction with UW-La Crosse
Lauren Mlsna-Managing Emotional Labor Demands as a Wedding Planner
Claire Ernser-Definition and Response: A Qualitative Study of Negative Political Television Campaign Advertisements
Halie Becker- Customer Satisfaction: The Struggle for Customer Loyalty
Courtney Mondloch-Life After College: Anxiety of the Unknown
Brenton Twite-Understanding Differences: Interpersonal Communication between College Atheists (or Agnostics) and College Christians
Sommer Steiner-WMCM Handbook: An Action Research Project to Modernize the Current WMCM Handbook
Allison Scherer- Camp Counselors: Emotional Labor and Communicating with Parents
Sarina McNamara-Communication Satisfaction between Roommates Based on Childhood with or without a Sibling
Fall 2012
Ben Morrison—The Emergence of Informal Leadership in Collegiate Athletics
Sadie Tennessen—Family Storytelling in Homeless Families
Jeff Lindholm—An Exploration of Homosexual College Students and the Empowering and Silencing Effects of Straight Friendships
Julie Schneider—Have you Heard of TOMS Shoes? A Quantitative Study Investigating Perceptions of the TOMS Shoes Organization Controversy
Cole Gallagher—Question "Authority": A Quantitative Study of the Perceived Credibility of Sports News Websites
Lucas Nett—Athletes' Perceptions of Coaches’ Verbal Communication
Zerr Her—Invisibility and Invalidation: A Queer Take on UWL Bulletin Boards
Jamal Anwar—An Exploration of the Effect of New Media in Long Distance Romantic Relationships
Nicolette Begeman—“We're Just Doing What We're Doing": Communication within Open Relationships
Andrew Olson--Projecting Sustainability: Environmental Rhetoric in Oil-Company Advertisements
Jake Schneider—Gender Differences and Humor’s Effect on Brand Familiarity
Chelsea M. Hodgins—The Influence of TV Viewing Habits: Cultivating Perceptions of Social Class and Materialism
Elizabeth Kramer—Let's Talk about Bullying: A Study of Lay Theories of Bullying
David Francione—How Parent Communicative Styles Affect Meltdowns of Children along the Autism Spectrum
Alyssa Swatek—An Exploration of Rules and Boundaries in Workplace Romance
Madeline Frank—That’s Kind of My Personal Rule: A Qualitative Study of Intercultural Roommates’ Rule Negotiation
Jennifer McDermott—"I'm Not Crazy!" Understanding the Experiences of Self-Disclosure among Individuals with Anxiety and Depression
Matt Lindholm—Homosexuals in the Workplace: Self-Disclosure of Sexual Orientation
David Janssen—E-Recruiting: Anticipatory Socialization on Career Pages of Information Technology companies
Sergio Jimenez—Communication and Social Class
Jordan Foy—Facebook: An Examination of Gender Differences in Self Presentation among Facebook Users
Tom Trehus—Satire in the Time of Super-PACs: Looking Through the Comedic Frame at Colbert Super-PAC Advertisements
Alicia Dal Ponte—My Single Mother is My Best Friend
Sklyer Holloway—Switching and Styling: A Look into why Minority College Students use Code-Switching and Style-Shifting in Family and Friend Communication
Ashley Blair—I Noticed They were Upset: Talking about Depression within Romantic Relationships
Spring 2012
Emily King-The Invasion of Afghanistan News Images: Their Relationship with Public Opinion
Kelsey Bauer- Family Communication about Relocation and College Students’ Reports on How This Communication Influenced Their Adjustment to New Environments
Caitlin Wentzel-Firefighters’ Disclosure of Work Experiences to Family and Friends
Mackenzie Hautala-Parasocial Interactions in Live Music Performances and the Use of Affinity-Seeking Strategies
Joni Wethall-Communicating Differences: A Study on Organizational Identity of Inter-Religious Relationships
Devon Broome-A Family Perspective of Twin Communication: A Qualitative Study
Monica Rincon-At the End of the Day You do Business with People You Like: A Qualitative Study of how Event Planners Build Relationships
Kjirsten Jacobson-Women’s Magazines: A Quantitative Analysis of Women’s Magazines and Their Impact on College-Aged Women
Anna Lamm-Are We Still Friends?
Melissa Wilcox-Personal Stories of Overweight Bullying and Self-Identity
Brooke Sanchez- Managing Impressions: Organizational Presence on Facebook
Megan Glidden-G.T.L., A World Phenomenon A Quantitative Study of the Effects of Reality Television on Viewers’ Body Image
Kelsie Bolz-Identity Crisis: NACURH with People who are “In” Your Living Room
Zachary Iler-Organizational Identification: Differences in Non-Profit and For-Profit Employees
Courtney Lovas-Students Perceptions and Persuasiveness of Alcohol Ads
Ashley Przedwiecki-Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: Disclosure in College-aged Adult-Parent Relationship
Ashley Santolin-The Interpretation of Text Messages: Variations of Emoticons, Capitalization, and Punctuation
Sara Donahoe-It’s Time to Play at the Y: Organizational Identification in a Membership-based, Non-Profit Organization
Amy Slinkman-Sibling Discussion of Spiritual Topics
Amanda Fink-Let’s Talk Evolution: A Closer Look at the Conversations between College Students and their Parents and Peers
Aly Lynn-Why Do We Listen? The Uses and Needs for the Musical Choices of College Students
Julie Szymanski-Something Blue: A Qualitative Study of Dialectical Contradictions Between Wedding Planners and Engaged Couples
Janel Spicer-To Disclose or not to Disclose: A Qualitative Study of College Students’ Uses and Interactions on Facebook when “Friends” with Parents and/or Relatives
Courtney Zahn-Parasocial Relationships between Professional Athletes and Fans via Twitter
Kelsey Kopp-So When are you Bringing a Boyfriend Home?: A Qualitative Look at the Role of External Messages in the Lives of Single Women
Brett Bailey-Communication with a Young Bartender: How Interactions can Influence Reality
Sam Gavic-Bank Account Classified: Communication Privacy Management of College Students and parents surrounding financial talks
Rachel Messmer-The Aggressor and the Victim: A Study of Verbal Aggression in the Workplace1. Celia Erdman-People Don’t Call Me When They’re Happy: Lawyers Use of Humor
Brian Boyea-Magic Formula: A Look at RA’s Relationships with Residents
Josh Haffenbredl-A Qualitative Study of Subordinate Job Satisfaction When Co-Workers Become the Boss
Van Ngo-Token Minority: Minority Student Leaders’ Identity Development
Abby Saunders-Foster Parents’ Communication of Affection and Authority to their Foster Children
Jeremiah Samuelson-The “Cool” Epidemic: Slang and Symbolic Interactionism
Ryan Pomerening-Like Mad Men, Only In Real Life: Dynamics of Communication in Advertising Sales
Kelly Stadum-A Different Kind of Broken Heart: Women and How They Discuss Friendship Termination and Does Texting Play a Role?
Carissa Wiersma-A Look at Pageants and How College-Aged Women Perceive Beauty
Choua Vue-Self-Disclosure and Privacy Management on Popular Adolescent Weblogs
Samantha Husman-A Look at Gender in Relation to Assertiveness in Superior-Subordinate Relationships in the Workplace
Philip Minja-Romantic Interracial Relationships and Relationship Satisfaction
Jenny Schroeder-A Quantitative Study on the Impact of Landlord Immediacy on Tenant Satisfaction with the Renting Experience
Samantha Peacock-A Look at the Coach-Athlete Relationship and its Impact on Coach Sport Satisfaction Levels in Division III Athletics.
Mia Stickelmaier-Female and Male College Students' Self-Disclosure of New Spiritual Beliefs
Diana Vang-It’s Tradition: Advice New Hmong Mothers Receive Regarding Pregnancy and Postpartum Care
Devon Van Tyn –Intercultural Romantic Relationships: A Study of Conflict and Relational Management Strategies
Kate Gorman-Levels of Public Speaking Anxiety and the Miss America Organization
Drew White-Perceived Credibility of Ex-Athletes as Sports Broadcasters
Terrence Thigpen-Understanding Relational Maintenance between College Students and Their Empty Nest Parent(s)
Ryan Nell-It Must be Confusing: A Qualitative Study on the Stepfather-Stepson Relationship
Jared Tabor-Messages in the Media and How They Effect Consumer Spending
Nicole Beistle-Can You Have it All? How a Mother’s Working Status Affects Adult’s Perceptions of Verbal and Nonverbal Immediacy with Their Mothers
Nikolina Adzic-Does Distance Make the Heart Grow Fonder? The Relationship Between the Use of Video Chat and Communication in Long Distance Romantic Relationships
Fall 2011
Jessica Anderson: If You’re Out, Then I’m In! A Qualitative Study of Managing and Performing Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual Identities in the Workplace
Bree Biederman: It’s Greener on the Other Side: A Qualitative Study of the Roles of Mass Media Messages on the Promotion of Sustainable Behaviors
Aiyana Bloome: Just a Text Away: Texting and Parent-Child Relationships during the College Transition
Larkin Breckel: I Wear Many Hats: A Study of Communication Management of Female Community Leaders with Intersectional Identities
Kailey Charlton: A Qualitative Analysis of Website Use by Small Local Businesses
Joe Etten: The Effect of Verbal Communication on Physical Intimacy in Romantic Relationship
Allison Garkovich: From the Hardwood to the Gridiron: A Qualitative Study of Women in the Field of Sports
Danielle Goldenberg: College Seniors’ Expectations of Humor in the Workplace
Krista Hagman: “They Really Contradict Each Other:” A Qualitative Analysis of Anti-Marijuana Public Service Announcements and Pharmaceutical Drug Advertisements on Television
Melissa Hanson: Beyond the Like: Facebook Posts and Follower Attraction to the Businesses They Follow
Sarah Hillesland: Sibling Communication: A Study of Messages Exchanged between Siblings about Alcohol Consumption
Clar Johnson: Student Association: An Evaluation of Organizational Reputation
Amanda Jorgensen: Women and Media: Media’s Contribution to Women’s Body Image and Interpersonal Relationships
Brad Lien: Gender Preference during Supervisor-Subordinate Communication
Luke Prescott: Watch and Learn: A Qualitative Study on the Influence of Film Characters’ Communication
Thomas Reader: Private Education and the Communicative Shaping of Adolescent Faith
Mary Schlangen: “Lying’s Pretty Cousin:” Studying White Lies in Social Interaction
Carrie Schmidt: Whispers through the Grapevine: A Quantitative Study of the Relationship between Negative Gossip and Trust in the Workplace
Lauren Schuster: A Qualitative Study of Corporate Fashion: Dress and Relationship Initiation in the Workplace
Angela Spagnoli: As Seen on TV: A Qualitative Study to Understand the Influence of Reality Dating Television Shows on Viewer Perceptions of Dating
Carrie Vick: Newscasters’ Nonverbal Communication Strategies in Transitioning between Stories
Katie Williams: A Qualitative Study of Organizational Identification and Compliance within the Miss America Organization
Michael Wolf: Facebook Friend Perceptions: How Friendship Perceptions Are Affected by Facebook
Phyllisa Zuehlke: The Effects Romance in Television Shows Have on Romantic Relationships in Real Life
Spring 2011
Laura Akerlund: Bedazzled Jackets, Belt Buckles & Banded Manes: Friendships between Equestrians Who Show on a National Circuit
Kim Huss: Communication Gaps: A Quantitative Study on How Store Managers and Employees Perceive Communication from Headquarters
Amanda Allaby: A Quantitative Look at the Effect of Trade Characters’ Communicative Qualities on College Students’ Character Identification
Nathan Schorr: Using Nonverbal Communication to Manage Relationships with Youth
Trenton Wilder: A Content Analysis of Advertisement Strategies in Beer Commercials
Jared Ellerson: (Para)Social Networks: Development of Parasocial Relationships between Athletes and Their Fans
Grace McCauley: Talking to Talk: College Women’s Discussion of Exercise Habits and their Influence on Same-Sex Peer Friendships
Jess Kanitz: Leaders of Tomorrow: A Quantitative Study of Undergraduate Leadership Identification
Melissa Gudmundson: Put Those Boxing Gloves Away: A Qualitative Study to Understand Relational Dialectics during Emerging Adulthood
Beth Ann Romnek: Last Names: The Communicative Value that Newlyweds Place on Marital Surnames
Gabriel Grelle: Where Everybody Knows Your Name: A Qualitative Study of Organizational Assimilation into a Neighborhood Bar Culture
Brittany Ballweg: A Qualitative Study Looking at the Communication Changes in the Parent-Child Relationship during the College Transition
Kathryn Martin: A Qualitative Study of the Impact of Family Meal Talk on Adult Children
Rebekah Fuenning: A Qualitative Study Looking at the Effects of Mental Illness in the Family
Ann Stenson: Millenial Perception of Managers’ Communication from Other Generations
Alex Witt: A Rhetorical Criticism of Metaphor Used in Speeches at the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions
Hayley Rice: The Formation of Coaching Style Based on Coach-Athlete Interaction at the Collegiate Level