Missouri Method paves way for Mizzou senior Piper Molins, named AAF Top Multicultural Student
Missouri School of Journalism senior Piper Molins has been named one of the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) Top 50 Most Promising Multicultural Students. She will travel to New York City for a week-long professional development seminar featuring a student pitch competition, agency visits and networking with top advertisers, media companies and agencies.
“It’s truly incredible to be part of a legacy, specifically of really truly amazing women of color who have secured this award and represented the University of Missouri,” Molins said. “The past winners of this award are absolutely incredible representatives of this school and this profession.”
Strategic communication students are consistently selected by the AAF Most Promising Student Multicultural program, in part due to the school’s Missouri Method–a hands-on, real-world approach to learning that prepares students to excel nationally.
“Our strategic communication students’ consistent recognition by the AAF demonstrates why Missouri School of Journalism graduates are in demand in the industry,” the school’s dean, David Kurpius, said. “Piper’s well-deserved national recognition reflects highly on her hard work and on her embrace of the Missouri Method of immersive, hands-on education.”
“It’s truly incredible to be part of a legacy, specifically of really truly amazing women of color who have secured this award and represented the University of Missouri. The past winners of this award are absolutely incredible representatives of this school and this profession.”
Piper Molins
The AAF Multicultural Program honors students who excel in storytelling that connects with diverse audiences. For Molins, that storytelling is powered by data and research.
“Data is an important part of how we can connect with diverse audiences,” Molins said. “I’m interested in using the power of data and others’ lived experiences to create things that connect emotionally with others.”
Molins put that passion into action as the quantitative strategist for MOJO Ad, Mizzou’s premier student-run advertising agency. Her team worked with NASA’s Artemis campaign, which aims to put people, including the first woman and person of color, to the moon.
“MOJO Ad allowed me to explore my love for data while working on the NASA campaign,” Molins said. “It pushed me to consider how to connect with audiences of color and explore what connects us all as humans.”
Molins is an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). She credits the peer-mentorship and community there as a key part in her growth at Mizzou. She was personally encouraged to apply for the AAF award by Ryan Wilson, last year’s honoree, who mentored her through the process.
“MOJO Ad allowed me to explore my love for data while working on the NASA campaign. It pushed me to consider how to connect with audiences of color and explore what connects us all as humans.”
Piper Molins
“I don’t think our mentors necessarily have to be older than us, I think they just have to be smarter than us,” Molins said. “I’ve been so lucky to be surrounded by peers who are fascinating, talented and inspiring. I can’t even overstate the importance of NAHJ to me. It’s been one of the most important communities I’ve ever been part of.”
Beyond coursework, Molins expanded her expertise through the Gregory Scholars program, a paid research opportunity open to undergraduate and master’s students from any discipline, where she honed her ability to use data as a storytelling tool.
Her first major research project involved editing a scholarly paper on augmented reality in healthcare and social media, which had gone through multiple rounds of revisions for publication in the Journal of International Advertising.
Since the summer, Molins has led a data-intensive project analyzing disparities in faculty publication productivity across gender and racial lines at 13 AEJMC-accredited institutions. She explored how factors such as COVID-19, childcare responsibilities and systemic barriers impacted publication rates, citation counts and academic influence by collecting and analyzing data from 187 professors.
“I don’t think our mentors necessarily have to be older than us, I think they just have to be smarter than us. I’ve been so lucky to be surrounded by peers who are fascinating, talented and inspiring.”
Piper Molins
“It was a crazy spreadsheet, but it was a fun time,” Molins said. “The way we collect and interpret data can open up new audiences or unintentionally exclude them. I want to use research to ensure campaigns are not just inclusive in messaging, but also in the way they are designed from the start.”
Her real-world experience at Mizzou developed her ability to use data as a storytelling tool, making her recognition by the AAF a natural reflection of her passions over her academic career.
For Molins, this recognition is more than an academic achievement though. It is a step toward increasing representation in an industry that often lacks diverse voices.
“I think this award is a particular honor right now because of the national trend of mass deportation and state-sanctioned racial profiling that we’re seeing across the nation,” Molins said. “I think awards like this are a public way to show people that Latino Americans are important parts of society, industry and academia. Right now, I’m feeling extra grateful for that visibility in a time when I think it is crucial to use this platform to speak out.”
Updated: March 7, 2025