Megan Carrasco is a senior communication studies major with a concentration in applied communication. She is also pursuing minors in public relations and Spanish. Her Senior Honors Thesis/Project titled "The Ideal Millennial Working Woman: A Thematic Analysis of How Gender and Generation are Constructed Online" is being completed under the direction of her faculty advisor, Dr. Suzy D'Enbeau, assistant professor in the School of Communication Studies.
Carrasco's research grew out of a 2013 article published by Forbes called "The 10 Best Website for Millennial Women." Her thesis will explore how professional Millennial women are discursively constructed on these websites. Her research will include a thematic analysis of themes from these websites and how that aligns with projections about millenial women. For example, Megan indicated her interest in determining whether these websites reinforce stereotypes about women or whether they push back on those established societal norms.
As a Millennial woman, Megan believes this topic to be significant for her as a young professional. She chose Forbes as a launching point for her research project because she believes the publication to be a respected, reputable authority for the business world.
Currently, she has drafted her literature review and methods sections and is working on her preliminary analysis and identifying a plan for data management. She plans to present her work at the Central States Communication Association conference as well as the Kent State University Undergraduate Research Symposium this spring.
Megan believes her thesis will provide prospective employers with evidence of her ability to contribute to scholarship in her chosen field as well as her practical skills in data collection and analysis.
Her research earned her a Senior Honors Thesis Fellowship from the Honors College, a scholarship that supports undergraduate Honors College students in their thesis research. She is also chief of staff for Undergraduate Student Government, president of the Women's Center Advisory Committee, vice president of programming for the Panhellenic Council, and holds memberships in Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Sigma Iota and Lambda Pi Eta.