Recent PhDs

Chen-Ting (Tammy) Chang (2024)

Dissertation: Exercise Advice for Weight Management: Effectiveness of Using a Chatbot as a Health Consultant and Providing Verbal Person-Centered Emotional Support
Current Position: Assistant Professor, National Taipei University of Technology

Fangjing Tu (2023)

Dissertation: Epistemic Vigilance on Social Media: Understanding and Enhancing Discernment and Sharing of Factual Information in the United States and China
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Social Media Lab, Stanford University

Yuchi (Anthony) Chen (2023)

Dissertation: Beyond Good or Bad: Relationships Between Young Adults’ Social Media Self-presentation and Well-being
Current Position: Postdoctoral Scholar, Social Media Lab, Stanford University

Xinle Jia (2023)

Dissertation: Media Trust and Individuals’ Epistemic as Well as Social Engagement with News on Social Media
Current Position: Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Advertising, Southern Illinois University

Maura Snyder (2023)

Dissertation: Parental Mediation Advice: An Application of the Extended Parallel Process Model to American Parent’s Parental Mediation Behaviors
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Canisius University

AnneMarie McClain (2022)

Dissertation: U.S. Black Parents’ Preferences and Choices of Media to Support Their Children
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Mass Communication, Advertising, and Public Relations, Boston University

Hangsan (Paul) Ahn (2022)

Dissertation: The Freedom to Explore Creative Ideas and Cognitive Dissonance under Major Reasoning Norms: An fNIRS study
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing, Wheaton College

Sangwon Lee (2020)

Dissertation: Does Social Media Use Promote or Hinder Political Knowledge?: Providing an Overarching Framework and Testing Underlying Mechanisms.
Current Position: Associate Professor, College of Media & Communication, Korea University

Yang Liu (2020)

The Contestation Over Objectivity Between Professional and Citizen Journalists: Discourse, Practice and Content of the Coverage of Healthcare Reform and Gun Control Debate
Working for Facebook

Esther (Jihyun) Paik (2020)

Dissertation: Advisor Power and Its Impact on How Advice is Given: Comparison of Advisor Communication Behavior in Upward and Downward Advising Interactions
Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Yonsei University

Alanna Peebles (2020)

Dissertation: The Effect of Advance Organizers for Educational TV Stories on Young Viewers’ Immediate & Delayed Learning Outcomes
Current Position: Associate Professor, School of Journalism & Media Studies, San Diego State University

Irene (Sarmiento) Lawrence (2020)

Dissertation: Attachment Theory and Romantic Relationship Decision-Making: Perceptions and Implementation of Partner Advice
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, Belmont University

Mina Choi (2018)

Dissertation: Media use for social sharing of emotion: Providing an overarching framework and testing underlying mechanisms
Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of Media, Kyung Hee University

Miranda Schramm (formerly Kolb) (2018)

Dissertation: The Role of Mindfulness Practice on Group Discussions, Decisions, and Member’s Perception of Information
Current Position: Senior Director, Training & Instructional Design at WCG

Andy Prahl (2018)

Dissertation: Mortal Versus Machine: Investigating Interpersonal Advice and Automated Advice
Current Position: Associate Professor, Nanyang Technological University, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information

James Bonus (2017)

Dissertation: The influence of exposure to scientific inaccuracies in children’s educational television on the science explanations of children and parents
Current Position: Associate Professor, School of Communication, The Ohio State University

Jonathan D’Angelo (2017)

Dissertation: Virtual choice architecture and online dating: the effects of choice overload, reversibility, and impermanence on online daters’ satisfaction and communication with selected partners
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Medical Education, College of Medicine & Science, Mayo Clinic

Laura Stephenson (2017)

Dissertation: Watching and playing together: an examination of the relationship between family media time and parent-child relationships
Current Position: Instructor & Academic Advisor, Cross-College Advising Service, University of Wisconsin-Madison