A first-generation college student turned PhD candidate, Kristina Medero has a passion for researching ways to make the world a better place.
Medero researches how narrative messaging can promote positive attitudes toward outgroups, particularly those who have stigmatized illnesses, and racial and ethnic groups who have trouble accessing health care.
Medero focuses primarily on outgroup members, or people outside one’s own group, including minority groups, engaging with their experiences, and how attitudes and behaviors change toward those groups. She recently submitted research to Media Psychology, citing her work on narratives in mental illness. She hopes to use this information regarding narratives around mental illness to inform future interventions that want to promote health awareness.
Medero has a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Western Kentucky University and a master’s in communication from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She started off as a pre-med student but quickly realized she wanted to focus on the health system as a whole.
“I didn’t really know that public health or studying the health system was a career path that was an option to me,” Medero said. “When I found out about health communication, I felt like that’s exactly what I was looking for.”
While Medero does not have any studies published yet, one was just accepted for publication, and another is going through the review and resubmit process. Medero works closely with her advisor, Shelly Hovick, an associate professor in the School of Communication.
“Ohio State is an excellent research intuition because the faculty not only perform impressive research, but also equip their students to perform rigorous research as well,” Medero said. “They are supportive and allow students to access resources that allow them to build their own research programs.”
As a third-year PhD student, Medero is starting to look toward her future after Ohio State. She hopes to continue in academia and pursue either a postdoctorate, enter the workforce as a researcher at a university or work at a public health organization if she chooses to enter the private sector.
She said community was one of the first things she wanted to know about when applying to Ohio State. Medero heard stories of competitive PhD programs that lacked a sense of togetherness. Upon arriving at Ohio State, she felt the exact opposite. The overall willingness of people in the program to help each other and get each other through the program helped her know Ohio State was the right place for her.
Article by Student Alex Richards.
