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The fourth Faculty Pub Night of the 2024-25 season features Romy RW, assistant professor of communication studies (College of Communication and Fine Arts). She will discuss her recent co-authored article, "Effects of Intergroup Communication on Intergroup Anxiety and Prejudice through Single Sessions of Peer Counseling in Online Settings."

About Faculty Pub Night

Students, staff, faculty, alumni, and members of the public are all invited to the 2024-25 series of Faculty Pub Night at the William H. Hannon Library. Eight LMU professors are selected annually to discuss their latest publication or project in a comfortable setting and format that welcomes diverse perspectives for an inclusive conversation aimed to educate the entire community. All Faculty Pub Nights are free and open to the public.

About the Author's Work

People often avoid communicating with people of different racial/ethnic groups, a phenomenon observed across various social contexts, including mental health counseling. But here’s the good news Intergroup counseling presents a valuable avenue for reaping benefits, especially in today's progressively diverse society. It offers a unique platform to confront and mitigate negative racial dynamics that can affect individuals from different racial backgrounds. Additionally, peer counseling can be particularly advantageous for individuals who may be reluctant to seek professional counseling or who may feel more comfortable speaking with someone who has shared similar experiences. In this published work, hundreds of undergraduate college students took part in 30-minute peer counseling sessions with counselors representing diverse racial backgrounds—White, Asian, or African American. The outcomes were exciting: Intergroup peer counseling significantly alleviated anxiety among college students, heralding a pathway to enhanced mental well-being. This research furnishes a pragmatic tool for bolstering mental wellness among college students by directly addressing intergroup dynamics.

About the Author

Romy RW (Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park) joined LMU in 2023. Prior to coming to LMU, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and as a research fellow at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She also brings practical experience as a news editor and journalist from her time at Tianjin Television Station and the National Film Museum in China. Dr. RW’s research focuses on the interrelationships among intercultural communication, health communication, and mediated technologies. She specifically addresses the power dynamics, stereotyping, and prejudice prevalent in communication that contribute to poorer health outcomes for marginalized populations. Additionally, she examines the roles and interactions of social identity and communication technologies to enhance intercultural relationships. Her research has appeared in a variety of publications including International Journal of Communication, Communication Studies, Journal of Applied Communications, Communication Teacher, and Mobile Media & Communication, among others.

About the William H. Hannon Library

The William H. Hannon Library fosters excellence in academic achievement through an array of distinctive services that enable learners to feed their curiosity, experience new worlds, develop their ideas, inform their decision-making, and inspire others. More information can be found at http://library.lmu.edu

For more information about this event, contact the Outreach and Engagement team at the William H. Hannon library via email at library.outreach@lmu.edu or call 310-338-5234.