Communication ‘Cross-Section’: SOC Showcase Highlights Student Scholarship

Before School of Communication students and faculty stepped into the Jackie Liebergott Black Box to celebrate 2025 award winners , they passed through a gauntlet of academic research, business plans, and creative projects from across the SOC.

Seven students presented their work in the Black Box lobby last week as part of the SOC’s second Showcase, organized by Lisa Wisman Weil, Communication Sciences and Disorders Assistant Professor and SOC Assistant Dean. Presenters, some enrolled in a research co-curricular or capstone, and others building ventures on their own, submitted proposals to faculty.

“What I really appreciated about the experience is it’s a nice cross-section of the research and scholarship and creative works that happen in the SOC,” Weil said. “So it’s kind of like we get to see each other through the eyes of our students, and that the student work often comes from the support of faculty, whether through coursework or direct mentorship by faculty.”

Meet this year’s presenters:

Name: Weiyi (Only) Chen ‘25
Major: Business of Creative Enterprises
Project: VAI: AI-Driven Brand and User Connection Platform

Chen’s startup uses a platform powered by artificial intelligence to better match brands with potential customers. Her presentation demonstrated the system’s architecture, team structure, and potential within a rapidly evolving marketplace.

The goal for her business: “What we are trying to do is build an AI agent to help brands … do the SEO that traditional search engines do, and right now, we are in the prototype stage… It’s about testing validation of how this is actually working, and we are also getting investment already.”

Name: Callie Krosin ’25 and Faith Pinnow ‘25
Major: Journalism
Project: Campus Lens

Crosin and Pinnow co-produced Campus Lens, a 15-minute news segment developed with, and airing on, CBS Boston. Campus Lens covers topics that reflect and relate to college students, including AI, DEI, and student side hustles.

Pinnow on working for a local affiliate: “I got to anchor a show that I had a story in… about transportation in Massachusetts and making it more equitable and accessible. It was such a fun story to work on, and it was fun to toss to my own story from behind the anchor desk. I think with each [Campus Lens] we just get better and better. I think we’re all kind of getting the hang of it, we can get in the studio and tape it and be out in two hours with a really good product.”

Name: Mia DiGregorio ‘25
Major: Communication Disorders
Project: ‘Exploring the use of the Quick Interactive Language Screener (QUILS) in young autistic children’

The Quick Interactive Language Screener (QUILS) is a novel tool designed to assess language comprehension and vocabulary in children, but its validity in autistic children remains largely unexplored. This study evaluates the QUILS’ effectiveness in this population. Findings from this study suggest QUILS appears to be a cohesive measure in young children with autism, but does not fully converge with other receptive language measures.

How she got the research opportunity: “I was a research assistant at the [Lab for Infant + Toddler Language] and my boss, [Associate Professor Rhiannon Luyster], asked me if I wanted to do a directed study under her. They had a bunch of data that they had left over and I was so grateful to be able to do it… I want to be an audiologist, but I really like research and I want to see if I can work with the autistic population or work with children with disabilities pertaining to the field of audiology, as well.”

Name: Mohammed Omar Rasooli ‘25
Major: Public Relations
Project: ‘15 Horas: A Case Study in Using Entertainment-Education to Address Domestic Violence’

Rasooli’s research explores the social impact of the Dominican film 15 Horas on viewer awareness, perception, and behavior change. The narrative feature depicts an abusive relationship between a classical violinist and her partner, an orchestra conductor. Rasooli interviewed viewers of the film to determine their responses, and discovered, among other things, that participants “expressed a deeper understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and institutional barriers surrounding domestic violence and how these can be navigated.”

The basis for the research project: “Our theoretical framework is based on a social cognitive theory developed by Albert Bandura, which says that people can learn from social behavior and social interaction with others. So it’s basically that we are not learning through [just] a class setting, but we are also learning through watching movies, going to theater, and also other people’s experiences.”

Name: Briana Primavera ‘26
Major: Communication Disorders
Project: ‘Exploring the Effects of Accents on Evaluations of Health Care Providers‘

Primavera investigated how a speaker’s accent affects perceptions of trustworthiness, competence, and clarity in medical communication. She asked 343 study participants to listen to a female doctor with either a Chinese or American accent deliver a sprained ankle diagnosis, then rate the doctor on traits linked to trust in healthcare. She found a statistically significant difference in how the two doctors were rated, with the Chinese-accented provider rated lower.

What it means: “This has large implications for accent bias in terms of how it functions in different types of interactions with providers based off relationship, communication, and trust measures. And considering that linguistic diversity is increasing in the U.S. especially in terms of U.S. healthcare providers, it kind of turns the conversation more towards the actual provider and less of the patient… in terms of what’s needed to have an effective communication with the patient.”

Name: Colin Wanless ‘26
Major: Business of Creative Enterprises
Project: Crown Studios

Wanless and classmate Cruz Plasencia ‘26 co-founded Crown Studios, an interdisciplinary student creative collective (and SGA-funded org) that aims to support student productions, connect creators, host workshops and panels, and provide networking opportunities. It first launched at Emerson, with users joining from Boston University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

How the idea came about: “For some reason, the VMA students weren’t working with the Theatre and Performance majors on their films. They weren’t coming to the Business of Creative Enterprises majors to market their films. Why were we all doing things separately when we all have such a passion for the same thing? We created Crown Studios to connect students, campus-wide, and allow them to basically start their passion projects now, rather than waiting for the right opportunity to meet the right people.”

Name: Zethan Ajayi ‘28
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies (Business of Creative Enterprises and Visual & Media Arts)
Project: ZethanPostedThat

Ajayi’s portfolio shines a light on high school and collegiate athletics, including the Emerson Lions and the Harvard Crimson. While filming Harvard Women’s basketball, Ajayi also saw the potential in Crimson star Harmoni Turner, and made a promotional video telling her story.

On shooting games: “I wanted to help out with the Emerson Athletics Department. I filmed some games — some basketball games, some soccer, some lacrosse games, and some softball games, too. I definitely wanted to play in the athletic department [of] any school I went to and worked with. Sports is what I want to do, and maybe dabble into weddings or something else.”