Rollins Research Earns National Honors for Sustainability Study

David Painter, associate professor of communication, and recent graduate Lauren Velazquez ’25MSC have achieved national recognition for their research paper at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) 2025 conference in San Francisco.

AEJMC is a nonprofit, educational association of journalism and mass communication educators, students and media professionals. The AEJMC conference brings together leading scholars in journalism, mass communication, and public relations from universities across the U.S. and internationally, making this recognition a significant accomplishment for the College.

Based on Velazquez’s capstone project, their paper entitled “Framing Sustainability Messaging: Brand Relationships and Purchase Intentions” was selected as one of the top three papers in the highly competitive public relations division.

“This recognition validates the quality of research being conducted by our faculty and students,” says Painter. “It demonstrates the real-world relevance of our work in understanding how sustainability messaging influences consumer behavior and brand relationships.”

Velazquez, a member of the first cohort to complete Rollins’ master’s in strategic communication, represents the program’s commitment to producing graduates who contribute meaningfully to academic and professional discourse. Her collaboration with Painter exemplifies the unique mentorship opportunities available at Rollins.

The research will be presented at the Top Papers in Public Relations session in August 2025. This achievement reflects Rollins’ growing reputation for producing impactful research that bridges academic theory with practical applications in communication and public relations. The award also highlights the success of the strategic communication master’s program in preparing graduates to contribute to scholarly research alongside their professional careers.