Full-time instructor, Jamie Vega, graduated with her PhD in December 2024. Vega shares her journey as a PhD student, her research interests, and why she decided to pursue a PhD while teaching.
What was the most challenging aspect of your PhD journey?
“Being a non-traditional student with a full-time job and small child (my daughter was 4 when I began the program) made this graduate school experience more challenging than my Master’s program. Maintaining a balance of work, school and life was quite difficult and required me to set clear boundaries for myself. Starting this program in the Fall of 2020 was an additional challenge due to the uncertainty of everything going during that time. Lastly, having a nearly 15-year gap between my Master’s program and Ph.D. program created self-doubt in my own abilities that were challenging to overcome along the way.”
What was the most rewarding part of your PhD experience?
“Finishing! Proving to myself that I am far more capable than I thought and pushing through adversity and setbacks during the program. I am also incredibly grateful for my cohort and the forever friendships we’ve formed along this journey together.”
What was the central focus of your doctoral research?
“Improving the comprehension of jury instructions in Florida by implementing the use of plain language to rewrite them.”
Why did you pursue your PhD (while teaching)?
“It was something I went back and forth with for many years but wasn’t willing to relocate my family in order to pursue. Since I have obtained 3 previous degrees from UCF (two from NSCM), it felt like the right fit for me at that particular moment in my life.”
What are your research interests?
“I am very interested in the communication process as it relates to juries. From jury selection to jury instructions and everything in between (deliberating in groups, etc.), I’m fascinated with communication in this context.”
What are some notable achievements (published articles, awards, etc.) that you would like to share?
“During the past four years of my program, I am proud to have worked with classmates and professors to publish two papers, in addition to presenting at 4 conferences at the regional, national and international levels, winning an award for best poster at one conference, and making it to the top paper panel at another conference.”
What upcoming projects/plans do you have for the future?
“For now, I want to work on getting my dissertation published. Whatever comes next will come, but I also want to get back to finding a new balance in my life instead of always stressing over “what’s next”.”
What advice do you have for aspiring communication experts out there?
“Communication is boundless, so I’d encourage anyone with a passion for this field to intern, job shadow, ask questions of others in roles you imagine yourself in, and to be proactive in finding your path. There are breadcrumbs out there to follow when we are willing to recognize them!”
Written by Majdulina Hamed.
Published to Nicholson News on February 4th, 2025.
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