Before they could create communications campaigns, students in Professor Julie Lellis’ Senior Seminar in Health Communications spent time listening.

They listened to physicians and midwives. They listened to expectant mothers. And they listened to the stories behind the data as part of a partnership with Cone Health’s program that challenged students to address real-world maternal health communication needs.

Those conversations and observations laid the foundation for the students’ semester-long projects. Working with the Cone Health Center for Women’s Healthcare at MedCenter for Women, students developed strategic communications campaigns aimed at increasing enrollment, improving retention and expanding awareness of the program among patients and healthcare providers.

As part of the partnership, students worked directly with healthcare professionals, including Dr. Kim Newton, founder and lead physician of Mom+Baby Combined Care, and Virginia Smith, CenteringPregnancy coordinator. Several students also attended the North Carolina and Virginia Centering Consortium, gaining firsthand insight into the impact of group prenatal care on maternal and infant health outcomes. During Finals Week, students presented their campaigns to Newton and Smith, who visited Elon’s campus.

CenteringPregnancy is an evidence-based model of group prenatal care that combines health assessments, education and peer support. Research has shown the approach can improve maternal and infant health outcomes while helping reduce disparities in care. At the MedCenter for Women in Greensboro, many participants are covered by Medicaid, and the clinic serves uninsured and underinsured patients throughout the region.

“The Elon students were a great part of our team,” Newton said. “They took the time to understand and engage with CenteringPregnancy and really captured how the group care feels different and meets people where they are. Their presentations were impressive to say the least and also provided our team with a roadmap for how to ensure our work to expand Centering feels cohesive and genuine.”

For Emmy Beauvais ’26, a strategic communications major with minors in health communications and business administration, the project demonstrated how classroom learning can translate into community impact.

“Participating in the Health Comm Senior Seminar class – and working with Virginia and Dr. Newton – was one of the most meaningful experiences of my time at Elon,” Beauvais said. “Unlike classroom projects, this project gave us the opportunity to develop and present a real communications campaign for an actual client. We did this through research-backed goals, objectives and strategies, and tangible deliverables that could be implemented in practice.”

Beauvais said attending the regional consortium early in the semester helped shape the team’s work and deepen her understanding of maternal healthcare challenges and opportunities.

“Overall, this experience showed me what it looks like to create work that extends beyond the classroom and truly can make a meaningful impact on a community,” she said.

The course also received a Community Partnership Initiative Grant from Elon’s Kernodle Center. The grant helped Centering providers purchase educational supplies for participants, while students assembled Baby Go! Bags filled with diapers, wipes, burp cloths and other newborn essentials for expectant mothers.

Lellis, who directs the health communications minor, said the partnership allowed students to see both the personal and systemic dimensions of healthcare communication.

“ľĂľĂČČ experienced everything from the joy of hearing a baby’s heartbeat to the heartache of exploring the realities of health disparities in maternal care,” Lellis said. “They learned how Centering is changing outcomes and making a direct impact on the lives of pregnant women in our local area.”

Lellis explained that the experience challenged students to translate research and data into actionable communications strategies for a community partner.

“ľĂľĂČČ learned how to generate insights based on data and turn those insights into creative strategies that inform audiences and motivate them to act,” she said.

The strategic communications major’s work centers on a multi-platform outreach strategy that blends grassroots engagement with a six-week, workbook-driven workshop. Her project, “Designing Accessible Wellness: A Community Health Intervention Campaign for Alamance County Inspired by Blue Zones,” draws on research examining regions of the world where people live longer, healthier lives and translates those insights into practical solutions.

That approach is intentionally hands-on and community-focused. McGee’s campaign reaches people through tabling at local grocery stores, social media outreach and partnerships with local organizations, all aimed at increasing awareness and encouraging participation. At its core is a flexible workshop experience, which participants can complete in person or remotely, guiding them through topics such as movement, purpose, belonging, rest and diet.

“I wanted to create something that didn’t just inform people, but actually gave them the opportunity to build healthier habits in a supportive environment,” McGee said. “By narrowing my focus to a specific community, I realized I could design something more meaningful and impactful.”

Her research reflects a broader understanding of health as both a personal and systemic issue – an idea that first drew her to the project. McGee said she was inspired to focus on Alamance County at a time when healthy living can feel increasingly out of reach, noting that nearly half of adults in the United States live with at least one chronic health condition and that everyday environments often make unhealthy choices the easiest ones.

Drawing on Blue Zones principles, McGee emphasizes that lasting change depends on environment, culture and access – not just individual willpower. That perspective shapes how she tailors her campaign locally, incorporating resources specific to Alamance County – from nearby hiking trails to community-based spaces – and encouraging participants to rethink how their surroundings influence daily habits.

The project has also reshaped McGee’s own understanding of what research can be.

“While this started as a project for class, I have come to realize that this is something that could be real,” the Sutton, Massachusetts, native said. “Working through this project has made me feel capable and inspired to keep pursuing projects in life that can create change by starting small.”

That sense of possibility is exactly what SURF is designed to highlight. As one of Elon’s signature academic experiences, ľĂľĂČČ research provides students with the opportunity to explore complex challenges while developing solutions that extend beyond the classroom.

For McGee, the hope is that her campaign does more than raise awareness. She wants it to spark a ripple effect.

“Research from the Framingham Studies shows that smoking, obesity, happiness, and even loneliness are contagious. We are influenced by our social circles,” she said. “By inspiring even a small subset of the population to take their health more seriously, it has the potential to shift behaviors across entire communities. The change starts small.”

McGee’s research was mentored by Paula Rosinski, professor of English, as part of her multimedia authoring minor.

Designed for the next generation of content creators and strategists, the program equips students to manage the full content lifecycle – from creation to distribution and analysis – across platforms like social media, websites, apps and streaming services. With a curriculum that blends analytics, branding, multimedia storytelling, and emerging technologies like AI, students will graduate prepared to navigate the opportunities — and ethical challenges — of today’s digital landscape.

Built on cross-disciplinary collaboration and real-world experience, the major includes a professional internship and a capstone project addressing real industry challenges.

“This program was developed in direct response to the evolving needs of the digital media industry,” said Staci Saltz, chair of the Department of Cinema and Television Arts and co-proposer of the major. “We designed DCM to bridge creative storytelling with strategy and data, empowering students to become thoughtful leaders in the digital space.”

The major draws on existing strengths within the School of Communications and integrates coursework from cinema and television arts, communication design, journalism, media analytics, and strategic communications. ľĂľĂČČ will take foundational courses in branding, persuasive messaging, and visual storytelling before progressing into specialized courses on digital strategy, audience insights, and multiplatform production.

“Designed with flexibility in mind, the DCM major encourages students to pair it with a double major in any other ľĂľĂČČ field, including other majors in the School of Communications.”

– Vic Costello, DCM’s program director

The program also introduces two new courses: a gateway class titled Digital Content and the Creator Economy and a senior capstone in which students develop comprehensive digital strategies for real-world clients or projects. Like other School of Communications programs, the major includes an internship requirement to ensure students gain professional experience before graduation.

National labor trends and industry projections reflect rising demand for professionals skilled in digital content creation, strategy and management. A 2023 Goldman Sachs report estimates the creator economy will approach $480 billion by 2027, while LinkedIn lists digital marketing and content strategy among the fastest-growing career paths.

“The DCM major reflects Elon’s forward-thinking approach to education,” said Vic Costello, associate professor of cinema and television arts and director of the school’s curriculum core and minor, who co-proposed the major. “We’re not just preparing students for their first jobs – we’re equipping them with the skills to lead, adapt and thrive in industries that are constantly evolving.”

Costello, who will serve as DCM’s program director, noted that one of the new major’s signature elements is its appeal as a double-major option. ľĂľĂČČ pursuing this option can apply up to 12 credit hours from their second major toward DCM electives – enabling them to complete the DCM requirements in 45 hours while gaining added depth and specialization in another area of interest.

ľĂľĂČČ interested in the digital content management major can enroll in the school’s core communications courses immediately, with full implementation of the major in place by fall 2025. The first offering of Digital Content and the Creator Economy is planned for the 2025–26 academic year.

Curriculum overview

• Communications Core Curriculum (17 hours)
• Major Requirements (28 hours)
  • DCM 2500 Digital Content and the Creator Economy
  • CDE 2580 Principles of Communication Design
  • STC 2600 Brand Identity
  • MEA 2800 Data-Driven Strategies for Digital Media
  • COM 3000 Persuasive Messaging
  • CTA 3230 Media Production for Digital Platforms
  • DCM 4970 Digital Content Management Capstone
• Electives (12 hours)