McKenzie Pittman, a master’s student in the School of Communication Studies at Kent State University, will receive the inaugural Dominic A. Infante Communication Scholarship at the 2013 Centennial Awards Celebration on Friday, Oct. 4, 2013. The annual event takes place during Kent State’s Homecoming weekend, and brings alumni and current members of the school together to celebrate.
Pittman is studying interpersonal and health communication and is most interested in issues with stigma, disclosure and resistance to social support and caregiving. She has been working on a research project that involves combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and how these individuals interact in online support groups. Her thesis focuses on individuals with mental health disorders and why they might resist seeking social support. Professor Rebecca Cline, Ph.D. serves as Pittman’s advisor.
After completing her master’s degree, Pittman plans to earn a doctorate in health communication with a focus on interpersonal communication.
Originally from Greensboro, N.C., Pittman’s hometown is Newton Falls, Ohio, where she graduated from Newton Falls High School.
Established in 2012, The Dominic A. Infante Communication Scholarship is given on behalf of the Infante family. The award recognizes a student in their second year of the Master of Arts program in the School of Communication Studies who is judged by the graduate faculty as being on schedule for completing the master’s degree and who appears to be a good prospect for matriculating into the doctorate program.
Infante is one of the most widely published communication researchers and an internationally renowned scholar. He is an alumnus of Kent State, earning his master’s and doctoral degrees from the School of Communication Studies.