News

Dr. Skye Cooley has been awarded the OSU Global Engagement Faculty Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to international education and engagement.

The MESA Research Group has been recognized at the 110th Annual National Communication Association (NCA) Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, with two Top Paper Awards in the Communication and Military Division.

Three MESA graduate students (Chris Boyington, Shahariar Khan Nobel and Ralph Dinko) presented their research at the inaugural Scholar Spotlight Event, hosted by the SMSC Graduate Student Association. Their presentation, "Voiceless Migrants: Divergent Realities in the Framing of Immigration Narratives Across Social Media Platforms," examined immigration narratives across X, Threads and Truth Social. The study was co-authored by Gerardo Rodriguez, who contributed to the research but was not present at the event.

The MESA Group researchers have published a new book titled "Narrative Worldviews of Central American Migration: A Multi-vantage Approach." This comprehensive work offers a unique and holistic perspective on Central American migration, drawing from an extensive range of sources including 40 in-depth interviews with diverse stakeholders, analysis of over 50,000 news media articles and examination of more than 50 policy briefs.

Dr. Asya Cooley has accepted the position of Graduate Coordinator with the School of Media and Strategic Communications (SMSC). In this role, she will oversee the graduate program within the school, providing guidance and support to students pursuing advanced degrees in media and communications fields. Dr. Cooley will be responsible for recruitment, curriculum development, student advising, and program assessment. Her expertise in strategic communication will contribute to enhancing the quality and relevance of the graduate programs. Additionally, she aims to foster transdisciplinary collaborations and expand research opportunities for all graduate students.

MESA researchers successfully completed the Media Literacy & Disinformation Training Seminar, an innovative program funded by the United States Embassy in Mexico City. This intensive three-week experience brought together 15 diverse Mexican professionals and students to Oklahoma State University. Designed to combat dis/misinformation, the program featured a comprehensive curriculum including a two-week online course followed by a one-week on-site seminar at OSU in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Participants engaged in expert-led lectures, in-depth interviews, hands-on workshops, and cultural activities, culminating in the development of public service announcement projects addressing real-world misinformation challenges in Mexico.

MESA Group researchers Dr. Skye Cooley and Dr. Andrew M. Abernathy launched the Odd Fellows Podcast, where faculty, students, community and industry stakeholders can learn about transformative transdisciplinary research happening at OSU. Listen to Episode I to learn more.

MESA Group researcher Dr. Asya Cooley presented the paper titled "Ukrainian News Media Representations and Framing of NGOs" at the International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR) conference hosted by the University of Antwerp in Belgium. The paper analyzed the portrayal of NGOs in Ukrainian news media from 2019 to 2024, finding generally positive coverage focused on activities and information provision, but with limitations in framing that may restrict public understanding of NGOs' broader impact.

MESA graduate student Chris Boyington finishes his month-long internship with the Balkan Security Network in Serbia. He shares his reflections on this experience: