Three Penn State Berks students – Samantha Acker, Kimberly Nicholas and Michelle Surine – received accolades and honors – for their research presentation at the Eastern States Communication Association (ECA) in Buffalo, New York from March 27-30, 2025. Established in 1910, the ECA is the oldest professional communication association in the United States.
Kimberly Nicholas, a communication arts and sciences and psychology major, won first place in the research poster category with her study on toxicity in video games. She commented that she was excited to present her research at ECA and that she valued discussions about her research with scholars and experts in her field. She stated that she was grateful to meet other students who also studied video gaming culture. “Getting to have academic discussions with [other students] outside of the classroom was wonderful.” said Nicholas.
Michelle Surine, a communication arts and sciences major, presented her a case study on China and Uganda, comparing transparency in environmental policy on government websites in the poster session. Acker, who graduated in December 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in global studies, presented a research paper on gender bias in AI. Both Surine and Samantha Acker received high praises from reviewers and conference attendees.
Acker and Surine developed their research papers as part of an upper-level intercultural communication course taught by Cheryl L. Nicholas, associate professor of communication arts and sciences and global studies. Kimberly Nicholas’ research, also mentored by Dr. Nicholas, is based on a summer Erikson Discovery Grant.
All three participated as part of the McCroskey and Richmond Undergraduate Scholars division. After a competitive review process, 43 research posters and 50 research papers from undergraduate scholars were selected to be presented at the conference.
For more information, contact Cheryl L. Nicholas at cnic@psu.edu.