From the Dean

Celebrating Student Research

At Elon, we value the importance of conducting research as part of the college experience, especially at the undergraduate level. As a result, you won’t be surprised to learn that U.S. News & World Report ranks the university in the top 10 nationally for Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects.

The School of Communications is proud to be home to one of the nation’s only undergraduate research journals in communications. Our twice-a-year publication provides opportunities for our students to extend themselves beyond the classroom and investigate new areas of inquiry tied to their fields of study. Through research, our students further develop critical thinking and analytical skills through hands-on learning, develop one-on-one connections with faculty, and build a scholarly community of peers, faculty and organizations on and off campus.

The Elon Journal reflects what we enjoy seeing most in our students – continued intellectual maturation. We hope that their research experience propels in them to become lifelong learners, filled with curiosity, wonder and – at times – suspicion.

The student-written articles that follow are the result of many solitary hours spent in research, as well as the untold hours in which students and teacher-mentors have worked together to revise a paper for public consumption. These mentor-mentee relationships often transform a student’s future career path, making these endeavors truly life-changing.

Research is a powerful part of our educational experience and one we are proud to share with our students.

Dr. T. Kenn Gaither
Dean, School of Communications