Personal Introduction and Academic Journey

Hello and welcome to my first blog post! My name is Michael Palacios and this is my first year in Gaylord College's graduate program, I am studying for a degree in strategic communications. I work as a content producer for American Land Exchange, a property investment company. I also work as a graduate assistant on the side to help with my tuition and further my experience in the sphere of communications.

I was born in San Antonio, Texas but growing up in a military family we often moved due to my father receiving new orders every few years. In 2009, my father retired and we settled in Oklahoma City. This place has become my home.

I began my academic journey in 2021 at Rose State College, where I earned an associates degree in mass communication. During my time there, I worked for the Rose State Media Group where we produced a monthly news paper. I placed second in the News Content & Best Photography category for the 2023 Oklahoma Press Association Awards that summer. From there I transferred to the University of Central Oklahoma for a semester. Ultimately, I transferred once again to earn a bachelors in journalism from the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Oklahoma. 

After graduating in spring 2025 with a bachelor's in journalism, I had a unique opportunity arise in North Texas. There had been a new program developing for first responders in the Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex ,which was called "Drone First Responder." Since I had acquired an FAA Part 107 sUAS drone license during my time studying at Rose State College, I was accepted into the role as a pilot for the DFR program. I worked along side responders for a little over a year, during this time I grew an interested in strategic communications and its application in a variety of fields. 

My specialization in inter-agency collaboration and coordination is what inspired me to pursue a master's in strategic communication. I believe the knowledge and understanding I can gain from furthering my studies will lead be back into similar roles if not higher positions to help with crisis management in new programs like DFR that was gaining momentum in north Texas. Even here in Oklahoma City there has already been a slow roll out of videos released from the metro police stations wherein their drone pilots from their DFR program were utilized in minimization of certain situations. I believe they refer to their DFR pilots as Real Time Information (RTIC) pilots.  Also referred to as Police Support Units. 

I am interested in auxiliary information overload and its effects on decision making for responders or general public when receiving information about an ongoing event. The cross section of input and output regarding information is worth researching. In relation to the quickening of available information in various mediums dramatically changes someones opinion of an event. My time spent as a Remote Pilot in Command - Drone First Responder working at the city Prosper gave me first hand experience of the utility and turbulent nature of real time communication and how situational awareness could change a responders approach in an instance. 

Right now, I want to better equip myself with standards and practices that are expected of students studying strategic communications. That way I can apply the experience toward a career in crisis communications in the field of first responders or as distaster relief. I would like to forward the research and acceptance of drone technologies in our society, that way they can be assistive tools rather than invasive weapons.