The 111th Annual National Communication Association Convention, held from Nov. 20 to 23 in Denver, Colorado, delivered on its theme, “Communicate to Elevate,” by convening scholars, practitioners and emerging researchers from across the United States and around the world. Among the vibrant intellectual community represented, the University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communications stood out due to its dynamic faculty and student participation.

Several notable members of the SJMC were listed on the program, namely: 

• Shannon A. Bowen
• Candice Edrington
• Mary Ann Fitzpatrick
• Brett Robertson
• Anli Xiao
• Damion Waymer
• Chinwendu Akalonu (Ph.D. student and author of this article)

Collectively, their research spanned important contemporary issues, from climate change communication, misinformation to trust in digital spaces, social media use, communication pedagogy, and cross-cultural communication practices.

One example is Brett Robertson’s presentation in a high-density session of the Communication and the Future Division. His talk drew on the Family Communication Patterns Scale, developed by co-author and SJMC faculty member Mary Ann Fitzpatrick, USC’s executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, to analyze how individuals discuss and make sense of climate change within family contexts. 

Robertson also had several other sessions, including one co-authored with fellow faculty member Shannon Bowen on assessing the credibility of hybrid digital sources using X and its owner, Elon Musk. And another on Understanding Military CyberRisk Communication and Behavioral Intentions through the theory of Planned Behavior. 

Demonstrating the school's commitment to mentorship and professional development, Damion Waymer chaired a Scholars’ Office Hours session, creating a supportive space for graduate students to receive guidance, ask questions and build meaningful academic networks.

Damion was also an author of a short course at the conference that offered practical tools and guidance to those seeking to build community in the classroom. 

My presentation, “TikTok is Better than University: A Uses and Gratifications Theory Perspective for Explicating TikTok Use in Nigeria,” which offered international perspectives on social media use, was featured in a session organized by NCA’s International and Intercultural Communication Division. This work highlighted global patterns of platform adoption, youth media literacy, and the need for a two-pronged UGT in understanding new media gratification.

Further representing the university, the University of South Carolina Press participated as an exhibitor, showcasing recent publications and engaging directly with conference attendees.

Overall, the presence of the SJMC at the 2025 NCA convention reflected scholarly rigor and dedication to building strong academic communities.