THE LAB
NONPROFIT & ADVOCACY LAB
The mission of the Nonprofit & Advocacy Lab is to strengthen the role of mission-driven organizations in society. We apply qualitative methodologies to assess crises facing the sector and to make sense of societal perceptions of voluntary action.
2025 RESEARCH TEAM
CURRENT LAB PROJECTS
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Social Media Messaging for
the Public Good
Who produces the best public health messaging on social media: the government, nonprofits, or influencers? Our research team is on a journey to find out! Our 10-person coding team will compare social media public health messaging in six U.S. cities with influencer-produced messaging while assessing for message functionality and heteronormativity. This project builds on the lab’s 2021 study on how nonprofits use TikTok. Research assistants are learning qualitative analysis, Large-N data management, and comparative analysis techniques.
Lab Alumni
2024: Marcella Diaz, BA Sociology, BS Psychology; Amy Pezoldt, BA Psychology; Rose Seus, BA Family, Youth, and Community Sciences; Chelsea DeMasters, PhD Youth Development and Family Sciences; Maeve Barger, BA Interdisciplinary Studies and French (2023 University Scholars Program); Amy Lao, BA Economics
2023: Kevin Brown, MS Business Management, MS Family, Youth, and Community Sciences; Colin Dobbins, BA Economics, BA Environmental Science (Currently Duke Law student); Ha Nguyen, BS Student in Nutrition; Julia Rockey, BS Family, Youth, and Community Sciences; Abby Snodgrass, BA Student in Political Science; Sophie Szymula, BS Marketing, BS Business Administration; Alicia Papanek, MS Family, Youth, and Community Sciences; Katelyn Trujillo Sowell, BS Family, Youth, and Community Sciences; Marlen Barajas Espinosa, BS Food Science and Human Nutrition (2023 CALS Top 10 Senior); Micayla Richardson, BS Family, Youth, and Community Sciences (Currently FIU Law Student); Talia Skollar, MSW
2022: Gabi Alexis, BS Student in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences; Alina McCloud, BS in Biology; Caroline Casola, BS Family, Youth, and Community Sciences (Currently Washington University Law student); Katherine Morgan, MS Family, Youth, and Community Sciences
2021: Isaiah Arias, BS Journalism; Chandler LeBlanc, MS Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Alanna Koch, BA Business Administration; Kerollin Francois, BS Computer Engineering; Terrence Vialva, BS Health Education; Gaillot Andre, MS Family, Youth, and Community Sciences; Kenya Byrd, BS Biology (FAMU)
2020: Trisha Bernardin, MS Family, Youth, and Community Sciences; Aanya Gonzalez, BS Family, Youth, and Community Sciences (Currently UCF MSW Student)
