Research Team

 

Principal Investigator

Jocelyn Steinke, Ph.D., Western Michigan University

Dr. Steinke is an associate professor in the School of Communication and holds a joint appointment with the Program in Gender and Women’s Studies at Western Michigan University. She received her A.B. degree from Mount Holyoke College, M.P.S. degree from Cornell University, and Ph.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Steinke’s research focuses on images of science and scientists in the mass media. Her most recent research explores the influence of media images of women scientists and engineers on adolescent girls’ conceptions of gender roles and their occupational aspirations. Dr. Steinke was the principal investigator for the project.

 

Co-Investigators

Maria Knight Lapinski, Ph.D., Michigan State University

Dr. Lapinski has a joint appointment as an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center at Michigan State University. Dr. Lapinski received her doctorate from Michigan State University and her M.A. from University of Hawaii, Manoa. Her research interests include the impact of messages on health and environmental risk perceptions and behaviors with a particular interest in culturally-based differences and similarities. Dr. Lapinski has extensive training in research methodology and statistics. Dr. Lapinski was an assistant professor in the School of Communication at Western Michigan University when the study was implemented and served as the methodologist on the project.

 

Aletta Zietsman-Thomas, Ed.D., University of the Witwatersrand

Dr. Zietsman-Thomas is a director of academic development at the University of Witwaterstrand. Dr. Zietsman-Thomas received her Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, B.Sc from Stellenbosch University, B.Ed from Rand Afrikaans University, and M.Ed. (with distinction) from the University of the Witwatersrand. Dr. Zietsman-Thomas was an assistant professor in the Mallison Institute for Science Education when the study was implemented and was the instructor for the media literacy interventions for the project.

 

Research Assistants

Nikki Crocker

Nikki Crocker is a graduate student in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Western Michigan University. She is currently employed as an engineer.

 

Yaschica Williams

Yaschica Williams was a graduate student in the Department of Sociology at Western Michigan University when the study was implemented. She is now an assistant professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at The University of Memphis.

 

Stephanie Higdon

Stephanie Higdon is a graduate student in the Department of Educational Studies at Western Michigan University. She researches socio-cultural foundations of education and teaches in the Department of Educational Studies.

 

Sarvani Kuchibhotla

Sarvani Kuchibhotla recently graduated with an M.S. from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Western Michigan University.

 

Marne Johnson

Marne Johnson is a graduate student in the School of Communication at Western Michigan University.

 

 

Special thanks to our project consultants:

Dr. Paul Nwulu, School of Communication, Western Michigan University, Video Editor

Dr. Nora Berrah, Department of Physics, Western Michigan University, Consultant

Linda Loegel, Middle School Science Teacher, Consultant

Jennifer Billington, High School Science Teacher, Consultant

Michael Sholar, Middle School Science Teacher, Consultant

 

Special thanks also to all of the students, parents, teachers, principals, and school administrators for their interest and participation!