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AT INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION CONFERENCE
5 recent UOG alumni present undergraduate research
From left, Alissa Eclavea, Dr. Lilnabeth Somera, John Mugol, Mariah Ramos, Jenika Ballesta, and Ashley Sablan take a photo during the opening ceremonies of the 11th Biennial Convention of the Pacific and Asian Communication Association at the Universiti Putra Malaysia near Putrajaya, Malaysia on July 21. (Contributed Photo)
Five recent alumni from the University of Guam Communication program presented their undergraduate research at the 11th Biennial Convention of the Pacific and Asian Communication Association held this summer at the Universiti Putra Malaysia located near Putrajaya, Malaysia.
John Mugol, Jenika Ballesta, Mariah Ramos, Ashley Sablan, and Alissa Eclavea were among the only undergraduates to present at the conference attended by Asia’s most prominent Communication faculty, graduate students, researchers, and professionals.
“It was really fun and a good experience,” said Ballesta. “It gave me an opportunity to showcase my research at an international conference with people from different professions.”
Ballesta, whose research was based on her capstone project titled Assessing Fake People: A Study of Online Identities and Offline Relationships, won an award worth $300 for her oral presentation.
Dr. Lilnabeth Somera, associate professor of communication, also won an award—the Excellent Oral Presentation Award— for her oral presentation of recent alumni Quenie Balagot’s research paper titled Nomophobia: The Relationship Between Mobile Phone Use and Academic Performance. Balagot was unable to attend the conference, and Somera presented on her behalf.
Somera, who for the last few years has taken her communication students to off-island conferences, believes it’s important for students to not only present their undergraduate research—based on their senior capstone projects—but also network and connect with others in their field of study from around the world.
“For the students, it broadens their view of the field,” she said. “It provides an opportunity for cross-national collaborations and makes the students go beyond writing a paper and getting a grade.”
For more information on the Communication program at the University of Guam, visit www.uog.edu. (PR)
