Two professors from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS) received Fulbright awards for research initiatives in Australia and Northern Latvia, showcasing the college’s academic expertise on a global stage. Through their awards, psychology professor Anne McLaughlin and communication professor Lynsey Romo will apply their research in real-world, cross-cultural settings to address specific local issues:

• McLaughlin has been named the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Advanced Defence Science and Technology. Her project will examine the psychological aspects of human-AI military systems in Australia, focusing on how individual differences influence human-automation teams.
• Romo has been named a U.S. Fulbright Scholar. Her project will address the rising need for public health education, capacity-building, and media literacy in rural, cross-cultural areas of Northern Latvia.

These initiatives translate complex academic theories into practical solutions, aligning with the college’s goal of applying knowledge beyond its borders and across the world. They foster long-term global networks and institutional collaborations, ensuring that NC State’s tradition of community-engaged scholarship produces meaningful public benefits worldwide.

Balancing Trust Between Humans and AI

During her tenure as Distinguished Chair, McLaughlin will collaborate with defense scientists at the Australian Defence Science and Technology Group, as well as faculty from the University of Western Australia and Western Sydney University.

McLaughlin’s research addresses a major challenge in modern psychology: helping people determine how much to trust artificial intelligence. She will examine how an operator’s personal traits, including attention span, cognitive limits, and attitudes toward robots, affect collaboration with automated systems.

The project focuses on two key questions:

• How do personal traits influence initial trust in AI or autonomous system and how does trust shift over time? 
• How do the communication choices made by an AI system alter human trust and decision-making?

Measuring trust is vital; under-trust leads to disuse, while over-trust causes complacency. The goal is to help engineers design safer high-stakes technologies, like autonomous drones and AI used in U.S. and Australian military and emergency responses are reliable and effective.

To achieve this, McLaughlin will apply her expertise in advanced measurement methods, such as dual-task paradigms, and evaluate individual influences like attention control. This approach provides a deeper understanding of how operators will perform with technologies being developed by the Australian Defence Forces. 

By connecting human behavior with technological advancement, the project champions the college’s focus on global engagement. McLaughlin will also seek to connect and network with larger communities in Australia to spread knowledge of the psychology of human capability and limitation. 

Connecting Classroom Learning with Real-World Action

In fall 2026, Romo will partner with Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (ViA) to teach two graduate courses: Strategic Health Communication and Qualitative Research Methods in Applied Communication. Designed with ViA faculty members, the initiative targets the region’s growing need for public health capacity-building and rigorous media literacy in rural, cross-cultural environments

The project connects classroom learning with real-world action through several key initiatives:

Public Health Campaigns: Graduate students will create professional health materials to handle local issues, such as encouraging preventive care and designing accessible health messaging for older adults in Valmiera.

Social Issue Research: Students will conduct hands-on fieldwork on important social issues, such as  studying how local youth access digital mental health information and how residents navigate regional uncertainties.

Academic Mentorship: Romo will also advise master’s thesis projects, give public lectures and lead seminars across Latvia.

This international collaboration directly reflects the core mission of CHASS: moving academic knowledge out of journals and into the global community. Leveraging her background as both a scholar and former communications director, Romo will translate complex communication theories into practical, immediate solutions for Latvian citizens.

By expanding research beyond a North American lens and opening doors for future student and faculty exchanges, the project also embodies the modern land-grant mission of transforming scholarship, extension, and engagement into a global public good.