New publications, presentations, and team members

As the new semester gets started, I want to pause to share the great things that happened in the Message Lab over the summer and introduce some new team members who are joining us.

Over the summer, I enjoyed co-mentoring MSU College of Veterinary Medicine students Sarah-Ashlyn Barber and Julia Tate, participants in the Veterinary Medical Research Scholars program. At the end of the summer, the presented their work at the Veterinary Student Scholars Symposium:

• Barber, S., Grady, J., & Seitz, H.H. (2022, August 4-7). Validation of a revised measure of veterinary general decision-making preference. 2022 Veterinary Student Scholars Symposium, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
• Tate, J., Seitz, H. H., Grady, J. (2022, August 4-7). Evaluating the impact of shared decision making on pet-owner decisions. 2022 Veterinary Student Scholars Symposium, Minneapolis, MN, United States.

I am also pleased to report additional publications coming out of Message Lab collaborations this year:

• Freeman, C., Burch, R., Strawderman, L., Black, C., Saucier, D., Rickert, J., Wilson, J., Seitz, H., & Stull, J. (2022). Do they really work? Quantifying fabric mask effectiveness to improve public health messaging. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, 6372. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116372
• Methvin, J., Gardner, A. J., Pylate, L. B., Hunt, B., Seitz, H. H., & Hyatt, R. Y. (2022). Making COVID-19-related decisions: A qualitative study of university students. Journal of Public Health in the Deep South, 3, 62-73.

Finally, I want to welcome new Message Lab personnel Sarah Rendon, Braeden Renfrow, and Shelby Hall:

• Sarah Rendon is an undergraduate research assistant in the Message Laboratory. She is a senior majoring in Communication with a concentration in Communication Studies. Sarah has a passion for service and public health with a particular interest in mental health and health policy.
• Braeden Renfrow is a graduate research assistant in the Message Laboratory. He is a graduate student in the Department of Communication and earned his bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations. Braeden is currently working with Dr. Seitz on the PROMISE Initiative, and he is particularly interested in the effects that messages have on actions.
• Shelby Hall is a graduate research assistant in the Message Laboratory. Shelby’s undergraduate degree was in agribusiness with a concentration in policy and law and a minor in economics, and she is currently obtaining her Master’s in Agriculture Business Management at MSU. Upon finishing her degree, she hopes to continue to work with programs that educate children about food and where it comes from. Shelby is currently assisting in the evaluation of the HappyHealthy social marketing campaign.