Dr. Russell B. Clayton is the Distinguished and Endowed Provost McKenzie Professor at Florida State University, where he is a Professor in the School of Communication and Director of the Cognition and Emotion Lab. He earned his B.S. in psychology and M.A. in health psychology from Texas State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, with a focus in health and strategic communication. His research centers on media psychology, health communication, and psychophysiological methods, with a particular emphasis on evaluating and optimizing persuasive health messages aimed at preventing and reducing substance use—including drug, alcohol, tobacco, and non-tobacco nicotine use—among young adults. Dr. Clayton’s research program has been supported by more than $3.4 million in competitive funding from federal (NIH/NCI), state (FDOT), field, and university foundation sources. He has authored more than 45 peer-reviewed publications in flagship communication, psychology, medicine, and health journals and serves on the editorial boards of nine leading communication journals. He has received three university-level teaching awards, including the University Distinguished Teaching award, the university’s highest honor for teaching, presented annually to a single faculty member.
Gabrielle Lamura
Gabrielle Lamura is a third-year doctoral candidate at the School of Communication at Florida State University. Her research focuses on entertainment media and media effects, with a specialization in horror. Broadly, she examines health communication and its intersections with death, dying, and mortality, as well as women’s health and horror narratives. Gabby earned an M.A. in Communication Studies and a B.A. in Interpersonal Communication from Valdosta State University.
Hanyi Xu
Hanyi Xu is a first-year doctoral student in the School of Communication at FSU. His research examines how people cognitively and emotionally engage with media and communication technologies, and how that engagement shapes their decisions, social connections, and well-being. He is especially interested in interactive media and AI, and in how these technologies can be designed to support healthier human-technology interaction. Hanyi earned an M.A. in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences from Columbia University and a B.S. in Advertising from Syracuse University.
Tran Khanh Linh Vo
Tran Khanh Linh Vo is a first-year master’s student in the Strategic Communication program at FSU. Her research interests focus on health communication, particularly how communication strategies shape perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors related to health. Her work aims to understand how cultural values influence health messaging and how communication can promote public understanding and positive health outcomes across varied audiences. Linh earned her B.A. in Communication and Political Science from the University of Central Florida.
Layne Roberts
Layne Roberts is a first-year master’s student in the Media and Communication Studies thesis track at FSU. Her research interests focus on media effects, substance use disorders, and how media portrayals and advertising shape perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors related to substance use. Her work aims to increase awareness, support informed decision-making, and promote harm reduction among individuals affected by substance use. Layne earned her B.A. in English from Florida State University.
Eva Nunez
Eva Nunez is a first-year master’s student in the School of Communication at FSU. Her research interests focus on the cognitive and emotional processes underlying how individuals interact with media and communication technologies and how these experiences influence decision-making, social relationships, and overall well-being. She is particularly interested in consumer behavior, including how media, peer influence, and social environments shape individuals’ choices. She is also interested in how generational differences in media use influence development, engagement, and interests. Eva earned her B.S. in Marketing, with a minor in Sociology from FSU.
Erinlyn Tirado
Macy Leask
Macy Leask is an undergraduate senior in the School of Communication and the Department of Psychology at FSU. Her research focuses on how media affects behavior, particularly how marketing messages influence viewers' attention, decision-making, and emotions, as well as how social media shapes attitudes and perceptions, using psychophysiological measures. She is earning her B.A. in Communication & Media and Psychology.