Booker T. Mattison, an associate professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies at Grady College, teaches screenwriting and directing for the screen courses at Grady and actively works as writer, director and filmmaker. In this episode of Grady Research Radio, Mattison takes us through his career, sharing his inspirations, the aspects of his work that stand out to him, how his professional work influences his teaching practices, and more ..read more

In this episode of Grady Research Radio, Dr. Hye Jin Yoon takes us through her research path, largely inspired by what she describes as the “healing power of humor” and how it can be used for the greater good in advertising and communication, specifically when communicating complex or serious topics, such as health or the environment.  Dr. Yoon goes on to explain how she prioritizes research with real-world implications, outlines her more recent projects, including work focused on sustainability, and dives into how her research influences her teaching practices ..read more

For a large portion of his career as a researcher, Dr. Nathaniel Evans has looked at areas of advertising that were on the Federal Trade Commission's radar about potentially being deceptive and, through his research and from a consumer protection standpoint, has offered insights and recommendations on what advertisers should do differently.  In this episode of Grady Research Radio, Dr. Evans walks listeners through his research path, speaks about creating tangible benefits to society through his research, explains how his research influences his teaching, and dives into his most recent wo ..read more

Dr. Ahn, director of the Center for Advanced Computer-Human Ecosystems (CACHE) Lab at Grady College, dives into her research testing and analyzing how virtual reality can be used as a tool to improve lives and prepare people for unforeseen circumstances, such as a natural disaster. Dr. Ahn also speaks about the rapid evolution of virtual reality over the past decade and predicts a future for the field ..read more

Dr. Denetra Walker, an assistant professor in the Journalism Department, started her role in fall 2022. While she’s still new to the College, her research draws from years of experience both studying the topic of social justice journalism and working in several behind-the-scenes roles in television news markets in Augusta, Georgia, New York, Houston, Las Vegas and Columbia, South Carolina.  Walker’s research focuses on the experiences of journalists of color and those who are marginalized and underrepresented in the news media. She’s interested in how protests and movements, such as Black ..read more

For many, watching television is a part of daily life, and those clips that show up on screens can begin to leave a lasting impression. Television shows’ portrayals of different people and groups, even in subtle ways, can influence the way individuals and cultures are perceived. Understanding this, Dr. Laurena Bernabo, an assistant professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies, uses television as a lens to look into issues surrounding race, gender and sexuality. She studies how these issues are being communicated to the public and used as entertainment to make sense of changin ..read more

In this episode, we speak with Moni Basu, an award-winning journalist and author and the director of our Master in Fine Arts in Narrative Nonfiction program. The Low-Residency Master in Fine Arts in Narrative Nonfiction program, based in Grady College, bridges the gap between journalism and literature, preparing students to not only produce impactful pieces, but also to have them published. The two-year, online degree program, which is flexible enough to allow students to continue on with their existing lives, prepares students with narrative journalism skills, pairs them with accomplished ind ..read more

The film industry in Georgia is flourishing. Generating $4.4 billion for the state last fiscal year, film and TV productions made in Georgia include a long list of box office top earning feature films, streaming programming, commercials, music videos and independent films. Spider-Man: No Way Home, Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, Stranger Things, and Loki are just several of the hundreds of productions made in Georgia in recent years. So, it only makes sense for the University of Georgia to have a top of the line MFA film program, capable of pumping highly trained filmmakers into the mar ..read more

In 2021, after hearing that the Oglethorpe Echo, the community paper of Clarke County’s neighbor, Oglethorpe County, was shutting its doors, Grady College devised a plan to save it. For over a year now, after transitioning the paper to a nonprofit, the Oglethorpe Echo has been staffed by student journalists. Dr. Amanda Bright, the director of the Journalism Innovation Lab for the James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership, and the instructor of the capstone journalism class that staffs the Echo, recently published an article on the project titled “Listening ..read more

Brands and organizations want to attract consumers and gain their trust. Accomplishing both of these tasks, though, is no easy feat. Two factors that greatly impact the attractiveness of advertisements and consumer trust are the personalization of advertisements — adding names and images to ads, for example — and disclosing if and how an advertisement, whether its an image, video or user review, may be manipulated or influenced by a brand. In this episode, Dr. Alexander Pfeuffer, an assistant professor of advertising in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Grady College, speak ..read more