Nursing Students Among Top Awardees at Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Conference

Through a special partnership with Villanova University’s student-run radio station WXVU 89.1: The Roar, Fitzpatrick College of Nursing students have been developing public health messaging and essential science-based communication skills to educate communities about health through the airwaves and in podcasts.

WXVU, which reaches a global audience with its 24/7 broadcasts, received two national awards at the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) annual conference March 2 in New York City and was a finalist in five categories, including Best College Radio Station.

• Best Podcast: Stop the Stigma: Depression Among College Students (February 2023)
• Best News Interview: Villanova Freshman Move-in Broadcast (with University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 CLAS) (August 2023)

WXV&U Health team for Best Podcast: (L to R) Natalia Matar ’23 FCN, representing classmates Anne Ferry and Gaby Sasso; Nick Langan, ’20 CPS, ’22 MS, Operations Manager/WXVU/WXV&U Health; and Carol Weingarten, PhD, RN, ANEF, Inaugural Director, WXV&U Health.

Best Podcast Award

The Best Podcast award went to the Depression Among College Students episode of WXV&U Health’s ongoing Stop the Stigma series, which has focused on topics such as students with disabilities, mental health among college athletes, and non-traditional students.

Senior Nursing majors become involved in WXV&U Health through a required Health Promotion and Community Health practicum (NUR 4113) taught by Dr. Weingarten every spring.

Since 2018 senior Nursing majors have been based at the radio station for the required Health Promotion and Community Health Nursing practicum (NUR 4113) taught by Dr. Weingarten with Operations Manager Nick Langan ’20 CPS, ’22 MS and the Assistant Directors of the Office of Student Involvement for Student Media Programs, Deena Leh (2019-March 2023) and Catherine “Cat” Coyle (July 2023-present).

Anne Ferry, Natalia Matar, and Gabrielle Sasso, 2023 BSN graduates, hosted the Depression Among College Students podcast with Julia Stanisci ’22 CLAS, ’23 MA, President and Founder of IfYoureReadingThisNova and Guy M. Weissinger, II PhD, MPhil, RN, Diane Foley Parrett Endowed Assistant Professor. They discussed the prevalence of depression and ways to manage mental illnesses among college students.

“College is a really big time of transition,” said Dr. Weissinger in the podcast, noting that changes in behavior and a sense of hopelessness can be warning signs of depression. He suggested that students look out for each other by listening, engaging in active social behavior, and/or encouraging them to take advantage of mental health services available on and off campus.

Dr. Weingarten says that everything WXV&U Health records evolves from teaching plans focused on audience, outcomes and strategies.

“We go through every step of the critical thinking process to connect with our audience,” she said. “It’s another example of our clinical work and a service to the College and community beyond, expressed through the airwaves.”