CSU Communication Studies Major Recognized with National Award

September 10, 2020

Sydney Jones, a communication studies major at Columbus State University, was recently named the winner of the prestigious Stephen A. Smith Top Paper Award. The award recognizes two individual undergraduate research papers nationwide. As the winner, Jones will present her paper at the 2020 National Communication Association Convention, scheduled for Nov. 19 - 22.

Sydney's work contributes to rhetorical theory that explores film as "equipment for living" . In doing so, she makes use of Netflix show The Haunting of Hill House to demonstrate how filmmakers employ symbolic messaging to invite audiences to engage with issues of trauma in their everyday lives.

“Winning the Stephen A. Smith Award is an incredible honor that has inspired me to further research topics surrounding media psychology,” said Jones.

Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association’s official honor society, sponsors an undergraduate research presentation at the NCA Annual Convention. From the research papers selected for presentation, two awards will be given for the top-ranked individual and group-authored student paper. In addition to an award plaque, the Stephen A. Smith Award honors the award recipients with a check for $100.

The 2020 National Communication Association Convention, which was originally scheduled to take place in Indianapolis, In., will be a fully virtual event.