Los Angeles — Two Florida State University (FSU) graduate student presenters won the Top Paper Award at an international Hispanic conference in Los Angeles last month.

The students, Maria Fernanda Bayona and Xiang Tang, presented their research on Hispanic and Asian coffee consumption in the U.S. at the sixth annual Hispanic/Latino Media & Marketing International Conference at California State University in Fullerton. Conference officials awarded them the top paper out of all participants.

The two were among a group of 15 students from the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication (the Center) at FSU, some of which also presented research.

“I am honored to have had the opportunity to present my year-long research along with Xiang at this international conference, especially since the presence of Hispanics and Asians keeps growing in the U.S.,” Bayona said. “But most of all, I am thankful to have had the opportunity through the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication to explore and compare different segments of growing consumers.”

Bayona’s research was part of her capstone project to graduate with her Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communication and a Certificate in Multicultural Marketing.

About the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication: The Center, housed at FSU, is the first of its kind in the U.S. Faculty and students operating the Center are conducting groundbreaking research, serving as a resource for the Hispanic and multicultural marketing industry and equipping students with cutting edge knowledge.