Makenzie Schroeder, Communication and Journalism
Name:
Makenzie Schroeder
Title:
Assistant Professor
Department:
Communication and Journalism
Describe your research in about 200 words.
My research focuses on the intersection of media, health, and strategic communication, including how emerging technologies perpetuate societal stigmas and biases that impact health. At the heart of my research is a focus on the underlying psychological processes that play a role in content creation and interpretation, such as social comparison and emotions. Through my investigation of these topics, I apply a critical lens to interrogate the implications of anti-fat bias in healthcare and society more broadly – including health impacts. Some of my most recent works include an experimental test of augmented reality social media slimming beauty filters and their impact on body image and anti-fat bias (published in Computers in Human Behavior, 2025). I have also explored how weight-stigmatizing language use in healthcare may alienate patients, leading to poorer patient-centered communication and a subsequent decline in quality of care (published in Health Communication, 2025). Weight stigma in healthcare has further implications for women, as I have explored how gender and body size impact reproductive healthcare (Women’s Reproductive Health, 2025). In my dissertation, I consider how both slimming and weight gain beauty filters elicit various types of comparisons and emotions. Further, I explore how these psychological processes may be fueling our decisions to take weight loss medications.
What’s the most interesting thing you have learned from a student?
One of the greatest lessons I learned from students in the classroom is that some of the best learning starts with things people don’t always take seriously. I’ve had students bring up TikTok trends, reality TV, memes, or celebrity drama, and what seems like a random tangent often turns into one of the richest discussions of the semester. Those conversations end up raising really thoughtful questions about communication, media effects, identity, persuasion, or social norms. It’s reminded me not to dismiss topics just because they seem lighthearted on the surface. When students are excited about something, they’re naturally more curious and willing to ask deeper questions. Why did this trend catch on? Why does this message resonate with some audiences but not others? Those questions create the perfect opportunity to connect course concepts to something they already care about.