East Stroudsburg University student Ana Laska presented her research, “Chernobyl Disaster and the Importance of Historical Narratives,” at the 84th Convention of the Pennsylvania Communication Association. The convention took place September 27-28 at Penn State Schuylkill.
Laska, a sophomore majoring in mathematics from Albrightsville, Pa., began her research for a general education Introduction to Communication class she took in Spring 2024. After the semester ended, Laska expanded her research to submit it to the competitive paper division of the state communication association.
“My parents lived in Ukraine when the Chernobyl disaster occurred, so growing up, I heard many stories about what it was like for the Ukrainian people during that time,” Laska said. “This class prompted me to do more research on the topic and write a speech about the unique story of my parents.”
“Laska’s presentation in the Introduction to Communication class was so interesting in terms of her gathering experiences from family members who had lived through the Chernobyl event. I invited her to consider expanding upon this study into a research paper to share her findings,” said Margaret Mullan, Ph.D., associate professor of communication. “Ana took time at the end of a very busy semester to submit her research to a conference not even in her major; I think that speaks to Ana’s commitment to getting the most out of her university education.”
Initially nervous to present at a communications conference, the mathematics major said she is glad to have stepped out of her comfort zone to share something she worked so hard on. “I think it’s very important we, as students, take classes outside of our major to broaden our knowledge, and for opportunities for networking and new experiences. I certainly encourage other students to study topics that interest them and attend events that relate to those topics even if they might not be within their major.”
For more information, please contact Dr. Mullan by calling (570) 422-3136 or email mmullan@esu.edu.