Driven by a passion to make a difference, PhD candidate Kelly Merrill Jr. found himself at Ohio State in search of an answer to a key question: How can we best use technology to communicate with others?
Merrill’s research focuses on the intersection of communication technology and health communication. He wonders about interactions through mediated communication channels, such as social networking sites. Further, Merrill conducts studies to find where health disparities lie and how individuals manage feelings of stigmatization and marginalization.
“Technology can also bridge some of those health disparities,” Merrill said. “But, at the same time, there are a lot of populations that don’t even have access to technology. We call this the digital divide.”
After losing his father in 2018 to cancer, Merrill decided to take a step in a direction to find out how technology and communication could work together to improve health. He always wondered if his father was provided with the best resources, so he made it his mission to make sure others would have access to resources that his father may not have received.
“He is the reason why I study what I do,” Merrill said. “Growing up he always had to try the newest technology, which always made me fascinated.”
One of Merrill’s studies focuses on patient interactions with healthcare providers and the dishonesty of some patients. He found that often patients lie to their providers out of fear of being judged and to avoid facing the consequences when it comes to drug and alcohol use or other stigmatizing behaviors.
Before coming to Ohio State, Merrill received a bachelor’s degree from Barry University in Broadcast and Emerging Media and Mathematical Sciences. He also obtained a master’s degree from the University of Central Florida in Communication.
Merrill received a one-year University Fellowship and a two-year Dean's Graduate Enrichment Fellowship. He has also received a total of four Top Paper Awards from the National Communication Association and the International Communication Association. Merrill’s research has also been published in various journals including Telematics and Informatics and the Journal of Medical Internet Research: Serious Games. After completion of his PhD program, Merrill hopes to remain in academia.
Since becoming a Buckeye, Merrill has made some great memories. He still remembers the first time he heard ‘OH-IO’ in another state and really felt the scope of the Ohio State community.
Article by Student Lila Kratsas.
