Makenzie Schroeder is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of Missouri. She received her MA in Communication from the University of Missouri, and her BA in Communication and Political Science from the University of Michigan-Flint. Her research program investigates how media, as an institution of power and communicator of societal expectations, reinforces stigma, shapes the experience of social identity, and fosters othering and related processes. Her work explores the interplay between media and physical and mental health, with particular attention to how media contribute to self- and other-stigmatization. She also examines how stigma is enacted within health contexts. Makenzie’s specific interests include the influence of new and emerging technologies on health decision-making and the role of weight stigma in the patient-provider relationship. Her dissertation investigates the use of augmented reality beauty filters and their impact on decision-making around GLP-1 weight-loss medications, as well as public support for legislative protections for larger-bodied individuals in the workplace. Recent publications have appeared in journals such as Health Communication and Computers in Human Behavior, among others.

Makenzie has sought interdisciplinary and collaborative opportunities in many of her projects, including translating her research for relevant stakeholders. One partnership with a local academic health system, MU Health Care, focused on developing educational programming about patient-provider communication in the context of weight stigma. This collaboration included a presentation for internal medicine residents that outlined actionable strategies to reduce weight stigma in healthcare settings, highlighting the potential for her scholarship to integrate within health systems.

Regarding teaching, Makenzie currently serves as the assistant course director for COMM 2100: Media Communication in Society. Within her role, Makenzie mentors teaching assistants, leading the design of lab material among other tasks. She recently held a leading role in a recent redesign of the course, including co-authoring a new course text. Makenzie also teaches COMM 3490: Mediated Communication as instructor-of-record. Previously, she taught COMM 1200: Public Speaking. Beyond her specific teaching appointments, she has engaged in various training and professional development opportunities, such as presenting at an internal university conference about implementing AI ethically and effectively in the classroom.