by Liz Mendicino ’26

Ramapo College received commendations for being one of the colleges with the largest representation at the 2025 Eastern Communication Association Conference (ECA) earlier this spring. Research conducted by ten students and alumni was accepted for presentation. Six attended and presented their work in Buffalo, NY, thanks in part to the unwavering mentorship provided by Dr. Satarupa Dasgupta, associate professor of global communication in the School of Contemporary Arts.  

Joseph Bennis ’25 presented his research on the association between ADHD and substance use disorders.

Kaitlyn Camerlengo ’26 presented her research on the association between oral contraceptives use and mood disorders among college-aged women.

Melissa Glasson ’24 gave a talk about her research paper on gender bias in ADHD diagnosis and treatment.

Sara Hosbach ’24 presented her research on the intersection of faith and autism and the barriers to inclusion.

William Jackson ’25 presented his research on integrating transgender and non-binary topics in high school sex education curricula for an inclusive education environment.

Joseph Santana ’25 who presented his poster on the impact of direct to consumer advertisements of prescription drugs on healthcare seeking behavior of college-aged students.

Alyssa Curto ’25, whose work on social stigmatization of cleft lip and palate was accepted, but had a student athlete conflict so Dr. Dasgupta stood in to answer questions from conference goers.

Not pictured: Emily Melvin ’23 and Dr. Dasgupta presented a co-authored paper on patterns of technologically mediated intimate partner violence among Generation Z individuals and the association between offline and online violence, which Dasgupta presented. Rebecca Bleich ’25 submitted and was accepted for her paper on enhancing student sustainability engagement on college campuses. A paper submitted by Emma Bagatelle ’24 about the representation of race and gender in Grey’s Anatomy and its impact on television content was also accepted for presentation.

The Eastern Communication Association is the oldest professional communication association in the United States. As a distinguished service-oriented organization with a history of achievement in research, criticism, communication theory, and excellence in teaching, the association welcomes members who share the goals and objectives of a membership dedicated to participation in state, regional, and national activity. Ramapo has a recent history of sending students to the conference, each year more and more have had submissions accepted to present at this prestigious event, in large part to the mentorship Dr. Dasgupta provides to undergraduate students interested in communication research.