Written by Elizabeth Schutte

Florida State University’s School of Communication hosted its inaugural research conference on Friday, November 3, 2023. The theme of the conference was “Inclusive Excellence;” scholars, who were both students and researchers, came together at the conference to share their perspectives on inclusivity and delve deeply into the concept.

With an emphasis on diversity and understanding, the conference aimed to share fresh perspectives on inclusivity and generate meaningful conversation. This was achieved through a panel on Inclusive Excellence, oral presentations, a poster session and a social School of Communication mixer.

“Our board worked hard to ensure an exciting and enjoyable event for all attendees…We are excited to see how the conference grows over the next few years,” said Ashley Johns, Conference Director.

Alessandra Noli Peschiera, a second-year Ph.D. student, who was awarded the Top Paper in the Research Roundtables section, said, “The best part [of the conference] was the reception and feedback from my fellow classmates. They were very interested in the study and provided great insights that I intend to consider as I move forward with this research project.”

Sunny Park, also a second-year Ph.D. student, who won two Excellence Awards and one People’s Choice Award said, “I love how supportive the peers were. I got some good feedback that I was able to expand my future study later on.”

Sunah Lee, a third-year Ph.D. student who received the Top Paper Award at the conference also commented on peer engagement, saying, “Although we…will eventually graduate and settle in other places, building a community among us…is such a valuable experience. Through the conference, we could get to know each other’s work even better and catch up with each other.”