Chris Dobmeier

Chris completed his undergraduate degree in the Department of Communication at UB. Initially, he did not think of going to graduate school right away. However, seeing his peers already enrolled in UB's graduate program towards the end of the senior year sparked a second thought for Chris. He immediately decided that enrolling in the communication graduate program in UB was the best option for him. He loved working with the faculty here and was already familiar with the institution, making it a smooth transition to graduate school. 

Chris has a great relationship with his advisor Dr. Lance Rintamaki. He has been a mentor to Chris since junior year and motivated him to further his studies at UB. Chris also worked closely with Dr. Janet Yang during the first year of his graduate program - "she's really, really smart … and she taught me a lot of great things." 

Chris' research concentrates on health communication, and he likes to explore the intersection between humor and health. Some of the current research he has been working on with his advisor Dr. Rintamaki focuses on cancer preventative behaviors, i.e., perceptions on forms of cancer, and behaviors that would mitigate it. 

Aside from research, Chris is highly involved with international student groups on campus and finds that cross-cultural communication should be an essential part of students' educational experience. He volunteers for the international student orientation every year and is also a part of the global advisory board through International Student Services (ISS). He has also had the chance to speak in front of new international students during orientations in the past. Chris' friendships with international students, especially those from India and Singapore, inspired him to travel to Asia. He had the opportunity to go to Singapore, which is also home to UB's international campus, to work on conducting research studies with his mentor, Dr. Rintamaki. 

Chris is extremely grateful for all the wonderful experiences he has been able to have throughout his time in UB. He is glad things he decided to stay here for his postgraduate studies as well -- "I felt so good about everything, and the cohort is awesome. We have a really nice mix of international and domestic students... they are so nice, and opened my eyes to a lot of their cultural experiences." 

By: Vindhya Burugupalli