Theses published by graduate students in the Department of Communication & Theatre Arts, College of Arts & Letters, Old Dominion University, since Fall 2016 are available in this collection. Backfiles of all dissertations (and some theses) have also been added.
In late Fall 2025, all theses will be digitized and available here. In the meantime, consult the Library Catalog to find older items in print.
Theses/Dissertations from 2024
Thesis: First Through the Black Glass Ceiling: Towards Understanding the Communication of Successful “First” Black Women of Martinsville, Dasha L. Dillard
Thesis: More Than Representation Heartstopper: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, Tracyann Josephine Harmer
Thesis: Coming Home Again: Television Sitcom Revivals, Brandon K. Hedgepeth
Thesis: Compassionate Communication, Social Support, and Safety: Needs of People Experiencing Homelessness, Emma Lynn Jackson
Theses/Dissertations from 2023
Thesis: African-American Parents’ Cultural Understandings of the Concept of Autism and Implications for Parental Communication and Health Management, Kellie J. Fennell
Thesis: An Exploratory Examination of the Cultural Understandings of Communication Competence Among Nigerian Immigrant Adult Children, Fredous Gambo
Theses/Dissertations from 2021
Thesis: Communicating with Muted Groups: The Case of Human Trafficking, Amy Matzke-Fawcett
Thesis: The Contextualization of Myth: Identification of Myth in the Propagation of Narrative Across Generational Boundaries, Joseph G. Ponthieux
Theses/Dissertations from 2020
Thesis: Counterpublics, Abled Sex, and Crip Discourses on Twitter: A Discourse Analysis of Conversations of Sexuality and Disability, Claudia Garcia Mendoza
Thesis: Being Listened to With Empathy: The Experience and Effect for Emerging and Middle-Aged Adults, Elizabeth (Casey) Moore
Thesis: Family Communication Patterns During Recovery Maintenance: Relapse Prevention for Alcoholics & Addicts, Adam Pyecha
Thesis: Clergy & Police a Semiotic Analysis of Clergy on Patrol, Ricardo Estevan Reyes
Theses/Dissertations from 2019
Thesis: A Study of the Diffusion of Innovations and Hurricane Response Communication in the U.S. Coast Guard, Melissa L. Leake
Theses/Dissertations from 2018
Thesis: Families Communicating About Health: Conceptualization and Validation of the Family Health Communication Quotient Scale, Erin E. Gafner
Theses/Dissertations from 2017
Thesis: Intercultural Communication Training and Law Enforcement Officers: A Career-Span Analysis and Education Agenda, Amanda M. Franco
Thesis: Americans’ Willingness to Communicate With Mexican Immigrants: Effects of Ethnocentrism and Immigration Status, Stephanie Leanne Harris
Thesis: Lifespan Communication and Career Development of Black Teachers: A Socio-Ecological Approach, Veronica Whinnett Hurd
Theses/Dissertations from 2016
Thesis: Forces at Work: Workforce Perspectives in Print Journalism Amid Paradigm Shift, Stephanie Bernat
Thesis: Media Literacy Definitions, R. M. Wenner
Theses/Dissertations from 2015
Thesis: Work Across the Generations: Communication Narratives of Stay-at-Home Fathers in Early and Middle Adulthood, Alice L. Jones
Thesis: Communication Support and Religious Support in Managing Occupational Stress in Military Careers: A Career-Span Approach, Shantonee' Malee Mitchell
Theses/Dissertations from 2014
Thesis: Communication, Romantic Reconciliation, and Emerging Adulthood: A Relational Dialectics Study, Ashley M. Poole
Thesis: An Exploratory Study of Generational Differences in Health Information Seeking and Smoking Behaviors in Bulgaria, Iva Stoyneva
Theses/Dissertations from 2013
Thesis: Lifespan Communication, Social Media Policy, and Societal Institutions: A Content Analysis, Jessica LaRae Bedenbaugh
Thesis: From Fandom to Franchise: Generational Discourse Among Fans and Producers, Nicholas C. Benson
Thesis: Empathic Communication: Lifespan Influences and Transgressional Associations in Military Romantic Relationships, Samantha Faith LeVan
Thesis: Zombies as a Generational Metaphor: Connections Between George A. Romero, Zombies and Fandom -- A Critical Study, Alfredo Torres