Nine students in the Biola University School of Fine Arts and Communication have been chosen to present their research at the 2024 National Communication Association Annual Meeting conference in New Orleans this coming November 20-24. This is the largest class from the Division of Communication whose research has been accepted.

“Our students are among the best in the nation in their work and these acceptances demonstrate that once again,” said Dr. Joy Qualls, associate dean of the division of communication. “We are immensely proud of their work.”

The conference is the largest scholarly organization of scholars of communication and religious communication. Presenting at the conference often leads to postgraduate scholarships and key networking opportunities for students. The students competed against peers, graduate students and even established scholars and professors to earn places in the conferences.

The students will present on topics ranging from Christian discipleship and navigating the worship culture of a Christian university to romantic relationships, intercultural friendships and women’s participation in competitive sports.

Alongside students Allie Beck, Kaela Berretta, Tristan Cazel, Mandy Fischer, Chelsea Gorecki, Emma Inman, Yehna Jung, Ehud Lee and Joan Schueller, Qualls, Dr. Arianna Molloy, Dorothy Calley, Dr. Anna Sinclair and Chase Andre from the divisional faculty will present their own work at the national conference.

“We continue to be a light in the scholarly spaces where we have grown in influence and reputation year over year. The platform that God has given to us is one we do not take for granted and we steward this responsibility with great care,” said Qualls.

Qualls also credits her colleague Molloy for her dedication to the students who were chosen to present at the conference. They all went through a two-semester, graduate level program designed to equip students with professional level research skills, led by Molloy. Throughout the program, students learned foundational research concepts, conducted individual qualitative research, and wrote rigorous research proposals. They also passed an ethics certification program and earned approval from the Institutional Review Board.

The program has produced students who achieve the highest levels of acceptance of most undergraduate programs in the country. At one point, Biola had more undergraduate students presenting in the space of communications than any other university in the nation.

“This all points to one of the core strengths of the division of communication, which helps equip and develop students in whole-person education for the present and the future,” said Molloy. “It reminds me of a great quote by Leonardo da Vinci, ‘He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast.’ We get to help them grow in theory and practice!”

Learn more about applying for and earning a degree in communication from the School of Fine Arts and Communication.

Written by Katelyn Ho, strategic communications assistant. For more information, email media.relations@biola.edu.