Rachel McKenzie and Sofia Rhea, PhD Candidates in the Department of Communication, were recently accepted to a competitive honors seminar through the National Communication Association. The 2025 NCA Doctoral Honors Seminar is hosted by the University of Tennessee and takes place June 17-20. Rachel and Sofia will attend programming oriented towards research and professional development, with mentorship from prominent scholars in their respective fields of interpersonal communication and media effects.
During the seminar, Rachel will focus on developing the second study of her dissertation research, where she plans to test the effectiveness of a chatbot she designed for stress management in improving undergraduates’ mental health support seeking behaviors.
Sofia will continue developing her dissertation, which examines how media involvement can be leveraged to promote well-being and identity development, particularly among marginalized or vulnerable adolescents.
Both Sofia and Rachel are excited to represent the UC Davis Department of Communication and for the opportunity to make new connections with faculty and PhD students from other universities.
