Mary Elizabeth Dunn

M.A., The University of Texas at Austin (Advertising)
B.S., The University of Texas at Austin (Advertising, TexasMedia Program, & Business Foundations Certificate)
Email: marydunn.utexas@gmail.com

Mary is a 5th generation Longhorn, an Austin native, and a 1st year Advertising Ph.D. student. Her research interests include gaining a greater understanding of how the human mind perceives and processes messages. She is interested in how various media platforms differ in effectiveness, specifically, fostering awareness, positive attitude towards a brand/product, and brand loyalty. In relation to measuring media effects, she is interested in how cognitive processing can be observed using traditional as well as psychophysiological measures; such as heart rate, skin conductivity, muscle tension, neural activity, and eye gaze. 

Outside of the classroom, Mary has worked as a teaching assistant for The Psychology of Video Game Advertising and Advanced Advertising and Advanced Advertising Research. She has also worked as a graduate research assistant in the Advertising Media Effects Lab. As an undergraduate advertising student, she was selected for the TexasMedia Fall 2008 cohort; a select program of coursework that prepares students to be skilled media planners. From 2009 to 2011, Mary sat on the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees as a student body elected College of Communication Student Representative.