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Chris Chen

By Colin Bowyer, Communications Manager - October 22, 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems designed to identify emotions from facial expressions often produce biased results, such as associating Black faces with negative emotions. This is primarily due to skewed datasets where race can act as a confounding factor when determining emotions, e.g. a disproportionately higher number of white faces with happy emotions and black faces with unhappy emotions and vice versa. For facial recognition, AI systems factor race into their calculations of emotions, alongside facial features, thus producing biased results. Just like a frown may count toward classifying a face as showing a negative emotion, dark skin color becomes coded as a likely indicator of unhappiness.

In a new study published in Media Psychology, Cheng “Chris” Chen, assistant professor of emerging media and technology at the School of Communication, and her co-authors define race as a confound; an irrelevant variable that influences AI outcomes due to unrepresentative training data. Then, the researchers ask if laypeople can detect racial bias in AI systems caused by unrepresentative training data. The study hoped to explore how users interpret training data, identify ways to improve awareness of algorithmic bias, and propose visual cues to help communicate bias.

The basis of this study was partially motivated by an AI bias that Chen experienced in her professional life. “I was giving a virtual presentation where there were auto-generated transcripts by AI,” Chen explained. “When I saw the transcripts myself afterwards, they were totally different from what I was saying, for example, mishearing and transcribing ‘algorithmic bias’ as ‘algorithmic buys,’ but when I saw the transcripts of my native English-speaking peers, they were accurate.” The transcript misstep by the AI during the virtual presentation prompted Chen to design a study to make people aware of bias in these now universal technologies.

With nearly 800 participants, the researchers conducted three experimental studies using a prototype AI system called Emotion Reader AI, which classifies facial expressions as happy or unhappy. In the first study, Chen focused on the biased representation of races, i.e., race is a systematic error or confound in the training data. The second study focused on the lack of adequate representation of a particular race in the training data. And the third combined both types of race misrepresentation and their counterexamples.

What the findings pointed to first is that most users did not perceive bias from a snapshot of unrepresentative training data. One possible explanation is that users may have relied on simpler cues, such as accuracy to evaluate the racial bias in machine learning algorithms. Given that all facial images in the training sample were classified correctly, users might not have viewed unrepresentative training data with racial confounds as problematic.

Second, users were more likely to perceive bias when the AI system performed poorly, especially when it misclassified emotions based on race. Performance bias had a stronger impact on perceived fairness than training data visuals.

Finally, the user’s race mattered in identifying bias in the training data. Black participants were more sensitive to biased training data, especially when it portrayed Black individuals negatively. White participants were less likely to notice or be concerned about racial bias unless it affected them directly.

“The failure to use racial confounds in the training sample to infer algorithmic bias is surprising given the stark contrast between smiling White subjects and sad Black subjects featured in one of the study’s stimuli,” explained Chen. This study highlights the need for technical solutions to ensure fairness, rather than relying on user perception alone.”

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Annalisa Hagg with Senator Ron Wyden

By Colin Bowyer, Communications Manager - October 21, 2025

Senior Annalisa Hagg never imagined that a summer internship would change the trajectory of her career. Raised in Bend, she had always been curious about the world beyond Central Oregon. That curiosity led her to Oregon State University, where she pursued a major in political science in the School of Public Policy and a minor in Asian languages and culture in the School of Language, Culture, and Society. It was a scholarship from the School of Public Policy’s Experiential Learning Fund that launched her into the heart of American politics—Washington, D.C.

As a press intern for Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, Hagg found herself immersed in the fast-paced, high-stakes world of political messaging. “Eighty percent of what I did was writing,” she recalled. “Press releases, memos, quotes, social media posts. You name it.” Her liberal arts foundation gave her the tools to adapt quickly, and her coursework, particularly American Foreign Policy (PS 351), gave her the historical context to understand the nuances of the issues she was helping to communicate.

Her days were a whirlwind of activity: monitoring media for mentions of the senator, compiling daily press clips, drafting press releases, and even ghostwriting statements. She helped research memos for potential TV interviews, drafted talking points for Senator Wyden’s press conferences, and occasionally walked with him to floor votes. “There was a lot of responsibility,” she said. “But also a lot of trust. There was always an open door to take initiative.”

Despite the intensity, Hagg found the office culture welcoming. Senator Wyden himself made time for lunch with the interns, offering advice and sharing stories. “He was incredibly personable,” she said. “It made the experience feel more human, more grounded. The staff always had open doors and really encouraged us to ask questions.”

Still, the experience wasn’t without its challenges. “It was intimidating at first,” she admitted. “Coming from Oregon State, not an Ivy League school, and suddenly being surrounded by people from Harvard and Georgetown, it was a little overwhelming.” But she quickly realized that her background didn’t define her capabilities. “What mattered was showing up, doing the work, and being willing to learn.”

“The hours are long,” Hagg continued. “There was one weekend when we stayed over at the office.” Yet, she found herself drawn to the energy of it all. “There’s something electric about being close to policymaking, even if it’s behind the scenes. You realize that every task is instrumental to the work that helps your community.”

Initially, Hagg had envisioned herself on the legislative side of politics. But her time in the communications office opened her eyes to a different path. “I hadn’t considered communications before,” she said. “But I realized how powerful it is, how much influence messaging has on public perception and policy understanding.” The experience reshaped her career goals, showing her the breadth of opportunities in the political world.

None of it would have been possible without the support of the Experiential Learning Fund and the College of Liberal Arts. “D.C. is incredibly expensive,” she said. “The scholarship covered my flights, rent, and even helped me buy professional clothes. I couldn’t have done it without that support.” 

Now studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh through the Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA) program, Hagg is continuing to expand her global perspective. Her time in D.C. gave her a clearer sense of purpose, and her studies in Scotland are helping her understand politics from an international lens. “It’s all connected,” she said. “Domestic policy, foreign policy, it’s part of a bigger picture, and communication is the string tying it all together.”

After she returns from Edinburgh and graduates from Oregon State, Hagg is considering a return to D.C., perhaps in a communications role, but she’s also keeping her options open. “There’s so much I still want to explore,” she said. “I know that I want to be where decisions are made, and be a part of how those stories are shaped.”

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Allie Webb-Bowen

By Ellie Webb-Bowen, CLA Student Writer - October 23, 2025

Born and raised in Corvallis, Allie Webb-Bowen knew Oregon State was the place for her. Her grandfather graduated in 1968 and 1978 with degrees in mathematics and business administration, as well as other members of her immediate and extended family. Beaver blood runs through the family, and Webb-Bowen chose to continue the legacy.

Webb-Bowen is now a senior majoring in graphic design. Coming into her first year, she knew she wanted to get involved in a creative field, and graphic design was the perfect fit, “Staying in Corvallis was an easy decision as the graphic design program offers a strategic and rigorous outlet for creatives to work on their craft,” she said.

During summer 2025, Webb-Bowen and other graphic design students traveled to Florence, Italy, for a summer abroad at Academia Italiana, a fine arts college. While there, Webb-Bowen studied digital illustration and package design from an international perspective. Webb-Bowen stated that one of her favorite aspects of the experience was not just learning new methods of graphic design, but also living amongst the incredible art and architecture that Italy has to offer. 

“It was awesome to see international differences in perspective with both everyday things as well as with my studies,” said Webb-Bowen. "I really like to work with impressionist oil pastel, and then within graphic design, I like to be very versatile.".  

Along with letting her creative juices flow through her major, Webb-Bowen is also a member of Chi Theta Phi, an arts and creative-forward sorority on campus. Upon starting at OSU, Webb-Bowen was looking to become more involved in the arts community and discovered Chi Theta Phi during a student clubs fair at the Memorial Union.

 “I decided to try it, I got a bid, and kept going. Now here I am three years later, still regularly involved,” Webb-Bowen said. “It’s fun to have a group of girls who all have a shared interest in the arts.” Currently, Webb-Bowen is part of the executive team as Vice President of Ritual, where she leads initiation, big/little, and senior sendoff events. 

Apart from her classes, Webb-Bowen currently works at KidSpirit, a youth development program on campus,  as marketing design lead. “Webb-Bowen said. In the marketing office, Webb-Bowen designs graphics for social media, brochures, fliers, printed advertisements, and digital signage, as well as helps design interns navigate their own tasks and objectives. 

“I initially applied to be a camp counselor, and then ended up in the marketing sphere, so it has been fun to do a little bit of everything,” Webb-Bowen said. “From my experience, the graphic design program has been more conceptual and less technical, so it’s been productive to have this opportunity where I can apply what I’ve learned in the classroom to the ‘real world.’” 

This academic year, she will wrap up her time in the program, Chi Theta Phi and KidSpirit, and enter the job market. "I want to leave where I feel at ease and know that I’ve done everything I could while at OSU,” she said.

The author of this article is directly related to Allie Webb-Bowen. 

By Colin Bowyer, Communications Manager - October 20, 2025

Each year, fall through summer, both on-campus and Ecampus students majoring or minoring in Spanish are able to receive academic credit for applying their Spanish skills in a professional setting. Overseen by Senior Instructor Raven Chakerian in the School of Language, Culture, and Society, the internship program facilitates partnerships between local schools and non profit organizations with students looking to utilize their Spanish language skills in settings outside of the classroom. With what started initially as a capstone class in spring 2021, Spanish 410 grew into a thriving practicum course benefiting students, as well as the  host organizations and their patrons.

“When students are looking to participate in an internship,” explained Chakerian, “we usually start with these questions: What are your goals? What do you want to get out of this opportunity? And, what can you provide to this organization? From there we try to create a connection that will benefit both the student and the host organization.” 

Though students are welcome to pitch a new internship location, Chakerian maintains a database of local schools and organizations accepting volunteers. Here are just a few students who participated in Spanish 410 internships over the course of a few years:

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Alexia Obrochta

By Taylor Pedersen, CLA Student Writer - October 10, 2025

For Alexia Obrochta, a second-year Ph.D. student in the School of Psychological Science’s clinical psychology program, research isn’t just about data; it’s about dialogue. Dialogue between substances and stress, between emerging science and cultural stigma, and between her personal curiosities and the evolving field of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Originally from Daytona Beach, Florida, Obrochta’s path to Oregon and psychedelic research started with a book: Michael Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind. The bestselling exploration of psychedelic science prompted her to imagine how substances like psilocybin (the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms) could help people navigate mental health challenges.

“When I first read that book, I saw how psilocybin was being used to treat substance use disorders and other mental health issues,” Obrochta said. “And I thought if it can help with alcohol use disorder, why couldn’t it be helpful for cannabis use disorder too?” 

Obrochta is now one of the early researchers in OSU’s brand new clinical psychology Ph.D. program, housed in the College of Liberal Arts. Her research focuses on the co-use of cannabis and psilocybin, specifically, how people who use both substances report stress and anxiety, and whether the combination may compound or relieve those symptoms.

Obrochta’s interest in cannabis is rooted in observation. She’s grown up watching how cannabis use has become increasingly normalized, especially as alcohol consumption declines among younger generations. However, she’s also aware that normalization doesn’t always equate to safety.

“Cannabis can be incredibly therapeutic for some people, but for others, it can actually make things worse,” she said. “We’re seeing increases in cannabis use disorders, and not enough discussion about the potential harms. I’ve always cared deeply about harm reduction and how we can help people use substances more safely, whatever those substances may be.”

That harm-reduction lens drives her curiosity about cannabis and psilocybin co-use. She’s particularly interested in whether psilocybin could interrupt a potential feedback loop where people turn to cannabis to manage stress, but end up feeling worse in the long run.

“There’s research suggesting cannabis may dysregulate your body’s stress response. So I’m asking: could psilocybin help reset that? Or does it just add more complexity?”

For Obrochta, the field’s newness is part of the draw, but novelty comes with responsibility. As a clinical psychologist-in-training, Obrochta is committed to separating enthusiasm from evidence.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the hype around psychedelics, but I’m open to whatever the data says, even if that data ends up contradicting my hypotheses,” she said. “I just want the public to have access to good science.”

That scientific grounding is especially important in a field where cultural baggage still looms large. She acknowledges that stigma and legal gray areas make recruitment and community engagement a delicate process.

“Some people are really excited when they hear what I research. Others are more hesitant. Building trust is crucial, not just with participants, but with the broader public.”

Obrochta’s move from Florida to Oregon wasn’t just a climate change; it was a change in lifestyle and perspective. After visiting Portland during her undergraduate years, she knew she wanted to live in the Pacific Northwest.

“Even though I came to OSU during a snowstorm, I saw the beauty in Oregon’s extremes. The faculty were so welcoming and clearly passionate about the program—it just felt right.”

Now, she finds inspiration not only in her lab, but in the landscape. Paddleboarding midweek or hiking after a long day of writing. Oregon’s emphasis on nature has helped her find balance.

“Being in nature just makes me a better person. It grounds me, and that makes me a better researcher, too.”

With two more years left in her Ph.D. program, Obrochta is still exploring where her work will ultimately take her. She loves teaching, clinical work, and research, and hopes to build a career that allows her to do all three.

As for the field of psychedelics, she’s cautiously optimistic.

“The research is promising, but access is still a big issue. Oregon’s psilocybin therapy model is expensive and out of reach for a lot of people. I hope that, as evidence grows, we can push for more equitable models like getting insurance to cover treatment.”

Until then, Obrochta is focused on the science: building strong data, engaging with communities ethically, and staying curious.

“Everything in this field surprises me,” she said. “Whether it’s a new paper showing something positive or negative, I’m just excited the research is being done. People care, and that gives me hope.”

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Lauren Damon

By Taylor Pedersen, CLA Student Writer - October 9, 2025

While most children in Bellingham, Washington, were spending their summers on the shore, Lauren Damon was already waist-deep in the saltwater, crabbing, shrimping, and hopping from island to island weren’t just weekend activities; they were her earliest lessons in how people live with, and depend on, the ocean.

“It just allowed me to be more involved in the ocean,” Damon recalled. “Not just standing on the beach, but actually experiencing it.”

Now an incoming senior in both the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) and School of Public Policy in the College of Liberal Arts, Damon has turned those early experiences into an ambitious double major in oceanography and economics. What began as a love for the water evolved into a fascination with how science and policy intersect; how data about tides and currents can inform decisions about fisheries, coastal development, and climate change mitigation.

“I didn’t want to be cornered into studying one species like in marine biology,” Damon explained. “Oceanography lets you look at the broader systems: waves, wind, tides. And then economics comes in when you ask, ‘Okay, if we know what’s happening, how do we make decisions about it?’”

That realization came early in her OSU career. An introductory microeconomics course caught her interest, helped along by a friendship that bloomed in the lecture hall. Soon after, a class in environmental economics and policy sealed the connection. “That was the course where I saw it click,” she said. “We talked about hazardous waste cleanups, non-market valuation, and how you put a dollar amount on the environment. It was exactly the intersection I wanted.”

Damon has since leaned fully into both disciplines. She served as president of the United for Oceanography Club and held leadership roles in the Economics Club, all while remaining active in her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi. “AOII [pronounced ā-ō-pie] has really connected me to the community,” she said. “I’ve done park cleanups with the Corvallis Parks Department, organized service events, and built leadership skills. It’s taught me how to organize people and take charge. These are skills I’ll carry into my career.”

This past summer, Damon tested those skills during an internship with The Balmoral Group, an environmental consulting firm in Seattle. There, she worked alongside other interns to assess the company’s carbon emissions and recommend sustainability strategies. The hybrid schedule gave her a taste of both city-life professionalism and the realities of remote work. “I loved the balance,” she said. “One day I’d dress up, take the light rail downtown, and work face-to-face. Other days, I could roll out of bed and start in my PJs. It was the perfect mix.”

Her biggest project involved collecting utility data, surveying employees about commuting and sustainable practices, and quantifying the firm’s carbon footprint. The team then presented recommendations to the company’s sustainability council. “It was rewarding to know our work could actually shape the company’s environmental goals,” Damon said.

For Damon, the appeal of this kind of work lies in its tangibility. Policy, she admits, can sometimes feel abstract. But when applied to coastal communities, it becomes concrete. “Take erosion, for example,” she explained. “You look at the environmental factors causing it, then weigh the strategies to fix or slow it down. Each option has costs and benefits. Economics helps decide which is the best strategy. That’s where I see myself: helping communities make those decisions.”

Balancing two majors, multiple leadership roles, and internships hasn’t been without challenges. Time, she says, is her biggest struggle. “I want to do everything, and I don’t want to give less than my best,” she said. Her solution: an arsenal of calendars and to-do lists. “If it’s not written down, it’s not happening,” she laughed.

During summer and into fall term last year, Damon studied abroad via OSU Go at James Cook University in Townsville Australia. Focusing strictly on oceanography, Damon was considered a marine science student in one of the highest-ranked programs in the world, right on the Great Barrier Reef. She frequently used her advanced open water scuba certification, participating in many dives along the reef and around Australia.

Upon returning, she began working in the Coastal and Fluvial Sediments Dynamics lab under CEOAS Associate Professor Emily Eidam. While a lab member, Damon analyzed the concentration of the radioisotope lead-210 in ocean seafloor sediment from the north and south poles to determine how old the sediment is and how fast it's accumulating. 

After she graduates this December, completing two majors in just over three years, Damon plans to step back before diving into her career. She’s heading to New Zealand on a working holiday visa, ready to balance travel with part-time work. “I’ve been going non-stop,” she said. “I want to take a moment to not do school, explore a bit, and then come back ready to lock in.”

Whether her future leads to the private sector, graduate school, or consulting work, Damon already has a vision for her dream role: analyzing environmental restoration projects and advising organizations on the best path forward. “I’d love to be the person who gets called in when there’s an issue, like erosion or restoration, and run the economic analysis of the options,” she said. “And then, years later, to check back and see if the recommendation actually made a difference. That would be really rewarding.”

From Bellingham’s tides to OSU’s labs and now toward a global horizon, Damon has found a way to blend her two worlds – waves and numbers, and science and policy. For her, the ocean isn’t just a place of childhood memory. It’s a future she’s determined to help shape.

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Lindsay Schnell

By Katie Livermore, CLA Student Writer - October 10, 2025

Lindsay Schnell, ‘09, grew up living and breathing sports. She’s always seen the game—and reporting on it—as something more than just what’s on the field, court or mat.

In a male-dominated field, Schnell has used her identity as a woman to approach stories from a different angle.

When reporting for The Oregonian in 2011, every news outlet planned to write a profile on Kenjon Barner, then a star running back for the University of Oregon football team, leading up to the game against Washington State. 

The previous season’s matchup between the Ducks and Cougars had been a scary day in college football, with Barner leaving the field in an ambulance after being knocked unconscious while returning a punt. 

Instead of writing the typical athlete profile, Schnell asked: “what was it like for Barner’s mom to witness her son’s injury?”

“We know there's so much data about how dangerous football is, and there are a lot of parents who won't let their child play football because of the danger,” Schnell said. “So I called his mom.”

As it turned out, Barner’s mom was afraid of flying. So much so, she hadn’t been on an airplane in 25 years. When she witnessed the play on TV at home in California, she hopped on a plane and flew to Pullman. She was with him when he woke up in the hospital. 

“I wrote through her lens. She hadn't wanted him to play football, and she had tried to discourage it,” Schnell said. “I think that I came at that from a different perspective than a lot of men would.”

Over the years, Schnell has fought for representation of women sports reporters, lending her journalistic talents to The Oregonian, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and more. She’s covered sports in 42 states.

Now, she’s a reporter for The Athletic, a subscription-based sports journalism website owned by The New York Times. 

From humble Oregon beginnings

Raised in Sandy, Oregon, Schnell’s parents nurtured her learning and education. Her dad taught at Mt. Hood Community College and her mom taught at a local elementary school. 

Schnell practically grew up in a gym. Outside of their day jobs, her dad was the college’s basketball coach and her mom was an official. Whether it was playing or watching or debating the game, Schnell’s family, including her two younger brothers, loved all things sports. 

Above all, Schnell’s obsession was basketball. 

“When I was in middle school, I watched so much college basketball on TV,” Schnell said. “I initially wanted to be like a color analyst because I had some very strong opinions. But I also always loved reading and writing. Later in middle school I realized, ‘Oh, these two things fit together.’”

That’s when she manifested her dream of writing for Sports Illustrated, by etching it into her middle school yearbook like a prophecy of the future.

During her first year at Sandy High School, Schnell enrolled in an introductory class in journalism. From there, she knew exactly what she would pursue with her life, and committed with full force. 

She was all in. 

After writing as a reporter, Schnell became sports editor of Sandy High School’s student newspaper.

Senior year, she attended the National High School Journalism Convention, went to newspaper camp at Oregon State, and meticulously researched college journalism programs. 

“I knew what I wanted to do,” Schnell said. “I was super nerdy in a good way, and just really leaned in.” 

In 2005, Schnell was named the High School Journalist of the Year, and has started a trend at Sandy High School—three more Sandy students have won the award since.

With her love of journalism and a plan, Schnell was set on attending University of Missouri, considered one of the best journalism schools in the world. 

“I wanted to go so badly,” Schnell said. “I slept in a Missouri shirt every night, and my parents were like, ‘we're not letting you take out that many student loans.’ Obviously, I was 18, so I was very dramatic, and I thought they were ruining my life.”

Meanwhile, Oregon State University’s newspaper, The Daily Barometer, was named Best-All Around Daily Student Newspaper from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2002.

At most other journalism schools, like Mizzou, Schnell would be forced to wait until her junior year to be published in the student paper. The Daily Barometer was different; Schnell could write immediately. 

OSU became the obvious choice. She jumped into reporting for The Daily Barometer, focusing on sports. 

During that first year, Schnell and Leslie Davis, ‘07, KBVR-FM’s station manager, drove from Corvallis, Oregon, to Omaha, Nebraska, to cover OSU in the Men’s College World Series, which culminated in the Beavers’ first baseball national championship. This came after she’d traveled to Oklahoma City to report on the OSU softball team, which was making its first-ever appearance in the Women’s College World Series. 

The two drove through the night, napped in the car in Walmart parking lots, all to see OSU baseball crushed by the University of Miami, 11-1, in their first game. 

“I was like, ‘oh my God, we drove halfway across the country and they're gonna lose,’” Schnell said. “Instead, they won every elimination game. It was really incredible.”

They were there for two weeks. It was both exhausting and rewarding to see the dawn of OSU baseball’s transformation into the powerhouse they are today.

Schnell still remembers the half second of silence among the crowd, when outfielder Tyler Graham caught the final out in Game 3 of the championship series, cementing OSU’s 3-2 win over North Carolina. Disbelief washed over fans. 

“We had no idea what we were doing, but we were at every game, we were at every practice, we were in every press conference,” Schnell said. “It was a really good lesson in being persistent, in trusting your instincts. I was so adamant that we had to be there.”

From the beginning, Schnell was adamant OSU baseball would win the whole thing. And they did. 

At the same time she covered OSU’s CWS run for The Daily Barometer, Schnell also wrote for The Bulletin in Bend, Oregon, and The McMinnville News, bringing news back to local communities from Omaha.

Getting her start

After graduating, Schnell moved on from student journalism to explore freelance work. She covered Oregon sports, particularly the Beavers, and pitched profiles on student-athletes throughout the state. 

By 2008, Schnell was the number two beat writer for Oregon sports for The Oregonian—as a freelancer. 

“I had worked really hard to become better,” Schnell said. “Anytime I was in a press box, and there was a professional journalist there, I was trying to make friends with them, get their feedback. All of those things really helped.”

As a woman covering sports in a male-dominated field, Schnell said the greatest positive is “at halftime in the press box, there’s never a line for the bathroom.” 

All jokes aside, it’s challenging. 

“I was fortunate in that growing up in Oregon, being an athlete in this area, I knew a lot of the people who would eventually become my colleagues and co-workers,” Schnell said. “They knew my family and I as athletes, so I think that did give me a foundation of respect.”

Schnell has always leaned into her unique lens in sports reporting. And it’s paid off. 

“As a woman, you move through the world differently, and so you see things differently, and then you bring that perspective to a newsroom, just like if you're a person of color, a person of the LGBTQ+ community,” Schnell said. “We need more diversity within our industry, especially because we cover a very diverse group of people in athletics. The reporters in the locker rooms and in the press conferences don't always reflect that diversity.”

In late 2009, Schnell ran her Corvallis apartment complex for reduced rent, was a part-time employee at the Hattie Redmond Women’s Center, and worked as a receptionist at a nearby therapy clinic.

All while freelancing for The Oregonian. 

When she finished her day jobs, Schnell headed out to report on OSU’s football practice.

In winter 2010, ESPN hired Schnell as a full-time freelancer, where she focused on high school girls’ basketball recruitment. 

By September 2010, The Oregonian hired her full-time to report on football, baseball and women' s basketball. 

After four football seasons, Schnell would fulfill her dream—working for Sports Illustrated. For the next three years, she built connections, won multiple awards, and refined her craft. 

Then came the lay offs, a common experience among journalists. Schnell describes it as an “unfortunate rite of passage.”

“I didn't have a backup plan,” Schnell said. “All I wanted to do was be a journalist. Within this industry, journalism in general, but in particular sports journalism, it is not nine to five. You work so much. So many weird hours, weekends–and I'm not complaining—but to go from that to nothing was very jarring.”

Four months later, however, Schnell found herself back on her feet. Originally hired to cover men’s college basketball at USA Today, she deviated from sports and moved to the national news desk for three years, covering topics such as domestic violence in Alaska, Catholic Church sex abuse scandals, and more. She moved back to sports full time in July 2022, just in time to cover the World Track Championships in Eugene, the first time that meet had ever been held in the United States. All together, she spent seven years at USA Today, covering national stories and women’s sports.

Calling the shots

Earlier this year, Schnell became a reporter at The Athletic, which has opened a new world for her reporting. 

“I really think The Athletic set the standard within sports journalism,” Schnell said. “They steer the conversation. That's when you get better, is when you're around people that are better than you.”

The biggest change from USA Today to The Athletic was moving from women’s sports to primarily men’s basketball. Still, she finds ways to explore sports through her own lens.

While covering the College World Series this year, Schnell received a phone call informing her she’d won the Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women’s Sports Coverage by the Associated Press Sports Editors. This award, created in 2024, aims to elevate journalism in the field of women’s sports reporting, according to the A.P. 

Stories in her portfolio highlighted topics of race, motherhood, mental health, and body image in women’s sports. 

Next, Schnell looks forward to covering more college hoops, and the Winter Olympics in Italy for The Athletic. For now, she resides in Portland and primarily writes remotely for The Athletic. She also teaches the next generation of journalism students at Linfield College. 

"I know it's unorthodox or unusual to work as a national reporter if you don't have a journalism degree or 'traditional' background. In college, my CLA adviser, Polly Jeneva, once told me 'You can create a world-class education for yourself no matter where you go to school.' I really bought into that, and I think my career is proof she was right. I'm really proud to be an Oregon State alum — and die-hard Beaver women's basketball fan, of course." 

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Xuerong Lu

By Colin Bowyer, Communications Manager - September 26, 2025

Public relations scholar Xuerong Lu focuses her research on crisis communications and how people engage with or decode messages from corporate institutions. In a competing and conflicting informational environment, messages published in a crisis can be interpreted by the public in a myriad of ways; Lu’s research looks to understand how certain voices stand out amongst informational conflict. 

“Today, the public is an active player because they can post, share and communicate just about anything on social media,” explained Lu. “The public is no longer a passive audience, but a part of crises and now more than ever, conspiracy polarization has complicated the information landscape, particularly in public health.”   

In a new study published in March 2025 in the Journal of Communication Management, Lu and her co-authors Wenqing Zhao and Yan Jin, both from the University of Georgia, as well as Toni van der Meer, University of Amsterdam, explore how corporations engage in social-political issue communication with exacerbating a crisis. The findings reveal both challenges and opportunities should a corporation choose to explicitly communicate its issue stance with stakeholders on social media. 

“For public relations purposes, people expect government agencies to comment on societal issues,” explained Lu. “But for organizations, there’s a distinct challenge and hesitancy to take a clear stance. What kind of voice should corporations have around societal issues?”

According to Lu and her co-authors’ findings from a mixed-design online experiment, when a corporation chooses to engage in political advocacy by taking an explicit stance, it is inevitable to contribute to the perceived polarization among stakeholders. In contrast, corporate engagement in political corporate social responsibility aimed at fostering mutual understanding rather than taking a stance, resulted in significantly lower perceived polarization.

“While studies have well understood how social media and mass media facilitate the formation of polarization, little is known about how corporations contribute to the polarization process,” said Lu. “Practically, the results provide guidance on what type of political engagement corporations can make for social good.” 

Getting ahead of a crisis is a strategy that organizations can and have utilized to stop false stories from spreading. Under misinformation attacks, particularly on social media, organizations can proactively and effectively correct misinformation to counter the misinformed narrative. Known as “prebunking,” Lu and Jin test the effectiveness of this strategy in a new study published in the Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management.  

In an online experiment with over 350 U.S. adults, Lu and Jin tested how different prebunking messages during a misinformation crisis affected readers’ trust and perception of the company. Everyone read a prebunking message by a spokesperson at a fictitious company and a misinformed post by a fake social media user. The prebunking message came in four styles: (1) the spokesperson blamed themselves, (2) the spokesperson shared a sad story that portrayed the company as a victim, (3) the spokesperson spoke about learning and growing from the crisis, and (4) the spokesperson shared a non-narrative story, but only facts about the crisis. 

Lu and Jin’s found that the narrative stories didn’t change the readers’ perceptions of the crisis, but if people liked the spokesperson and felt a connection to them, they were more likely to believe their statement and want to correct the misinformation. 

“It’s a huge challenge to debunk each voice on social media during a crisis and people will inherently dismiss prebunking messages” explained Lu. “But it turns out that liking the spokesperson mattered more than trusting them, and appealing to empathy and connection is what affected people’s perception.” 

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Francisco with Benny (Paige Krebs, '25) | Credit: Lily Middleton, '25

By Halle Sheppard, CLA Student Writer - September 25, 2025

At Oregon State, everybody knows Benny the Beaver. Whether it's at a football game, or even just roaming the halls of the Memorial Union, every student, faculty, and staff can recognize the celebrated mascot. The lovable, anthropomorphic beaver has been a key part of student life at OSU since the 1940s, and while many have donned the costume, each wearer has their own story to tell.

For three years, marine studies student Hailey Francisco, ‘25, held the honor of portraying Benny (and Bernice) during OSU’s many sporting and commemorative events. 

“It was literally like putting on an alter ego,” explained Francisco. “I felt like a celebrity, where everyone knows you and the joy you bring.” 

During the weekdays, Francisco was in Bexell Hall, learning as much as she could about the ocean through the College of Liberal Arts’ marine studies degree (MAST). Originally from the Seattle area, Francisco grew up constantly spending time on the coast; she enrolled at OSU as an ocean sciences major (now oceanography) in the College of Earth, Oceanic, and Atmospheric Sciences. After a few terms, she didn’t see herself thriving in the STEM-focused degree program, but still wanted to pursue an ocean-related degree. Francisco discovered MAST, a humanities and social sciences-forward program with coursework in communications, philosophy, writing, public policy, and more.

“I appreciated MAST so much,” said Francisco. “It provided me with the hands-on experience I wanted on the coast studying organisms and marine environments, but on my terms. I got to decide for myself which direction I wanted to take the degree program.”

Francisco took advantage of MAST’s experiential-learning courses, including Food from the Sea (FW 324), Marine Policy (PPOL 448), and Introduction to Marine Life in the Sea (BI 111). One of Francisco’s favorite experiences as part of MAST was her time in Introduction to Sharks (FW 115), where she travelled to Willapa Bay in S.W. Washington to help catch and tag broadnose sevengill sharks. 

Hoping to serve as a science educator in the future, Francisco’s MAST capstone project aimed to increase the awareness of ocean acidification (OA). Francisco created educational learning resources for educators to use in the classroom about the ongoing effects of OA, including a 30-page book eloquently explaining the ongoing effects of the ocean’s decreasing pH. Other educational materials included presentation outlines, communication resources, quizzes, reflections and all the things teachers needed to know about ocean acidification. “I wanted to distill this very scientific issue into something even younger children could understand.”

Francisco’s MAST capstone project of developing a toolkit aligned perfectly with her internship at Marine and Coastal Opportunities (MACO), OSU’s central hub dedicated to connecting students and faculty with the Oregon Coast. As part of her internship, which frequently took her to OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Francisco created MACO’s Communications Toolkit to support OSU faculty in teaching and mentoring at the coast. 

Apart from her time in MAST, interning for MACO, and transforming into Benny, Francisco was active in her sorority, Delta Gamma, for all four years, including serving as president of the chapter during her senior year. 

“I really wanted to find a close knit, tight friend group that shared my values,” Francisco said. “You’ll find your home wherever you go, but I felt a connection with Delta Gamma. It felt like home.”

Her time in her sorority has led to her current job, as a collegiate development consultant, where Francisco will be  travelling around the U.S. and Canada to other Delta Gamma chapters, providing oversight and guidance to members nationwide. 

“I just decided that I really wasn’t done with Greek life yet, and I still feel like I have people I can support and things I can do to help.” Describing it as her “first adventure of many,” Francisco is greatly looking forward to getting out there and trying something new. And yet, in the future, she plans to return to the Pacific Northwest and continue working in a marine-related field. 

“If we could figure out ways to communicate about the ocean more effectively,” explained Francisco, “I think more people would care about the changes that are happening to it.”

Her school spirit has never waned, and Francisco remains as devoted to the university as ever. “I love OSU and I’ll definitely be one of the alumni who returns for all of the football games and brings my kids in the future. I can’t wait to return.”

Until that day though, Francisco left her mark at OSU and even contributed to its history. During a 2023 football game, OSU re-introduced Bernice Beaver, with Francisco reprising Benny’s female counterpart for the first time since her “retirement” in 1998. 

“It was so cool to be a part of something historical and I know it meant a lot to Beaver fans,” said Francisco. “My years at OSU have meant so much to me.”

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Catie Leebrick

By Taylor Pedersen, CLA Student Writer - October 1, 2025

When Catie Leebrick, ‘25, walked across the stage to receive her diploma, she carried more than the weight of a Spanish degree and three minors in education, sociology, and film studies; she carried a story of shifting passions, rediscovering old loves, and learning how to see the world through multiple lenses at once.

Leebrick, who grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, has always had language at the heart of her life. Raised in a household where Spanish was encouraged, even though her family isn’t of Latin or Spanish descent, her parents enrolled her in a dual-immersion elementary school where every subject was taught in both English and Spanish.

“It gave me this perspective that there’s never one way to look at something,” Leebrick said. “Language holds so much power. If you don’t have a word for something, you can’t fully know what it is. I think that shaped the way I see the world."

But by the time she was supposed to start AP Spanish in high school, her brain was burnt out. At OSU, she initially declared sociology as her major, considering a career in juvenile justice and possibly law school. Yet something pulled her back.

“I loved sociology, but it sometimes gave me a really pessimistic view of the world—these systemic problems are so big, what can we even do about them? Which I know is a very privileged perspective” she said. “Education felt like the way forward. And Spanish became part of that. I wanted to teach, to make a difference.”

Her academic path shifted accordingly. Sophomore year, she declared a minor in Spanish in addition to her minor education. Then came a turning point: studying abroad in Salamanca, Spain.

Though she was only 19, younger than most of her peers, the experience widened her horizons. “It just showed that the world is so much bigger,” Leebrick said. “My problems felt so small, and I really liked that. It reminded me that there’s this whole world functioning outside of myself.”

Back in Corvallis, she threw herself into another passion: storytelling and creativity. At DAMchic, OSU’s fashion and lifestyle magazine, she rose to assistant editor by her senior year. She credits the experience with showing her that creativity could be more than a hobby.

“Growing up, creativity was never really seen as a career path in my family,” she said. “But with DAMchic, I saw that it could be. Fashion, film, writing; they’re all ways of communicating.”

Two projects stand out from her time with the magazine. The first, an article titled Trapped in a Sweater Vest from DAMchic’s The Pride Issue from Winter 2024. This was the moment she realized her vision and passion could translate into a full editorial spread. The second, far heavier in scope, was a feature she wrote about her best friend Sophie, for the magazine’s most recent issue, DAMchic: On Display. Sophie Bottum-Musa is Palestinian and a class of 2025 graduate of OSU.

“It opened my eyes in ways I’m not proud to admit,” Leebrick said. “I’d been living with this ignorance-is-bliss mindset about what is happening to Palestinians. But once you really see it, once you listen to someone you love, you can’t go back. That piece was the most important thing I’ve ever worked on.”

Now, Leebrick is preparing for her next chapter: a master’s program in Global Communications at the American University of Paris, starting in Fall 2026. Until then, she is working as a TK teacher at home in California. At AUP she plans to focus on film, specifically documentary work, combining her love of language, her sociological lens, and her creative drive.

“Film is communication. Fashion is communication. Language is communication,” she said. “That’s why this program feels right. It’s a way to keep everything connected.”

Her time moving between cultures, California, Oregon, Spain, and soon France, has already shaped her identity. Each place, she said, has left a mark. “There are little parts of me from all of them,” she said. “But I don’t plan on staying in one place forever. I want to keep moving, keep learning.”

That sense of openness, of keeping doors wide, seems to define her. Leebrick has her eye on documentary filmmaking, maybe teaching one day, maybe even law school down the road. But for now, she’s content with the uncertainty.

“I’ve had a very privileged life,” she said. “So why not go for it? Why not try everything I can? I just want to keep learning, keep seeing more of the world, and keep telling stories.”