Current Doctoral Students
Michael Bowen
he/him/his
mtbowen@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Media, Technology and Society
My research focuses on how people experience and reflect on time, one of our most valued resources, and how it is spent with media and technology. Specifically, I am exploring the ways in which we can discern and understand time well spent within the 'attention economy', as opposed to time that may be squandered and later regretted.
My advisor is Dr. Michael Beam. I also continue to work full time for Spotify as a Principal Quantitative User Researcher.
L.P. Coladangelo
he/him/his
lcoladan@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Knowledge Organization
I am studying domain modeling and knowledge organization systems for intangible cultural heritage, information representation of folk traditions, and how semantic technologies can support cultural heritage safeguarding and transmission. Overall, I am interested in the relationships between language, meaning, storytelling, representation of ideas, and knowledge building.
My advisor is Dr. Marcia Lei Zeng.
Matthew J. Craig
he/him/his
mcraig27@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Interpersonal Communication>
My research focuses on Human-Machine Communication and privacy management and disclosure. Specifically, I seek to understand how humans communicate identity and negotiate privacy when interacting with and through communicative AI in addition to computer-mediated communication contexts.
My advisor is Dr. Jeffery T. Child.
See more about me, my research, and up to date information for where I’m presenting next on my website: http://www.matthewjacraig.com/
Theorose Elikplim Dzineku
she/her/hers
tdzineku@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study: Emerging Media, Technology, and Journalism
I am working at the intersection of Technology, New Media platforms, Journalism, and Journalism Education. My research explores how journalism education institutions in Africa are using social media platforms like Clubhouse, Twitter Space, and TikTok for example in educating and training students. I am also enthused and interested in learning about how new generative AI can be applied in local newsrooms for news production. I have an interest in research work that explores AI and social media effects, local journalism, and Journalism education.
I am a research assistant to Dr. David Silva and Dr. Andrea Lorenz.
Mollie Hartup
she/her/hers
mhartup@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Media, Technology, and Society
Through my work developing Casual Conversation Theory, I am studying communicative practices in organizations that foster and inhibit knowledge exchange. I am also interested in how students and professionals navigate decisions surrounding personal and mediated communication. My work tends to be situated in higher education settings.
My advisor is Dr. Miriam Matteson.
Harrison LeJeune
he/him/his
hlejeune@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Media, Technology, and Society
I am studying mass media and political communication, specifically how mass media is used to manufacture public consent for policy.
I am working as a research assistant for Dr. Teddy Workneh, Dr. Paul Haridakis, and Dr. Danielle Coombs.
Samuel Noi
he/him
snoi@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Health, Technology, and Society
I study health communication and its emerging technology in dealing with some of the health and health communication challenges. My research focus is about examining digital health communication technologies or applications in tackling some of the health issues that have bedeviled society. This is to mitigate the effect of damages borne out of delays in the use of communication technology in the healthcare sector.
I am working with Dr. Tang Tang and Dr. Egbert-Scheibelhoffer Nichole.
Personal Website: https://afya-africa.co/home/
Kristen Piasecki
she/her/hers
kpiaseck@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Media, Technology, and Society
Relying on critical cultural theory, I am studying the media representation (news media) of the three monotheistic, Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). I am studying media effects both in the West, and in the Middle East. I will also be studying the differences in free speech laws, and the impact this has on the media representations in the West and Middle East.
My advisor is Dr. Yesim Kaptan.
Guilherme Pedrosa Quintela
Primary Field of Study Area: Interpersonal Communication
I study the relationship between organizations, sports and transmedia communication. My research focuses on understanding new trends in sports organizations' communication and how it affects the manner these organizations interact with society in many ways, such as economically, technologically, culturally and communicatively. I am also studying fandom, sports political economy, media and sports cultures, media practices of fans, protests and activism in the sports field, gender and sports and sports journalism. I also participate in two research groups in Brazil: Coletivo Marta - Research Group in Communication and Sports Culture (UFMG) and Dialorg (PUC Minas).
I am currently working with Dr. Tang Tang and Dr. Danielle Sarver Coombs.
Madison VanWalleghen
she/her
mvanwall@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Communication and Identity
My research examines how we develop and communicate about our identities, both as individuals and part of a group, based on identity discourse in various forms of media. Specifically, I aim to serve underrepresented communities at the intersection of sports, race, and gender, and share their stories of self.
My advisor is Dr. Cheryl Ann Lambert.
Adam Whiteside
he/him/his
awhites3@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Interpersonal Communication
I am currently studying discourse around gender, sex, and sexual violence within global and interpersonal contexts. I primarily am concerned with what impact dominant gender scripts have on sexual relations for young people (18-25). I also have also explored how history, socio-economic factors, culture, and mass media discourse potentially influence our understanding of sexual violence in other part of the world (e.g. India and South Africa).
My advisor and researcher I am working with is Dr. Suzy D’Enbeau.
Connor Wilcox
he/him/his
cwilcox4@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Media, Technology, and Society
I am focused on the intersection of culture, identity, and music. More specifically, I aim to explore the complex ways music-based subcultures construct knowledge, circulate meanings, and negotiate identities through communication. As a discipline, communication offers me an ideal set of theoretical tools for breaking apart and better understanding these nuanced social interactions and patterns.
My advisor is Dr. Cristin Compton.
Monique Wingard
she/her/hers
mwingar2@ kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Media, Technology and Society
I am a member of the Coalition for Independent Tech Research and will be studying how social media propagates hate speech and impacts intergroup relations. My research will also focus on automated journalism and the effects of AI authorship.
My advisor is Dr. Tara Conley.
Chengyuan Yu
he/him/his
cyu15@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Human Information Behavior
With degrees in Applied Linguistics and Library and Information Studies, I am studying the relationship between language and human information behavior from both cognitive and social perspectives. Specifically, I seek to understand the nature of multilingual speakers' information literacy practice and cross-lingual information retrieval, with the aim of helping them seek, organize, and process information in academic and non-academic settings.
Elaine Yuen
she/her/hers
yyuen@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Cultural Heritage Informatics
I am studying cultural heritage informatics, especially in setting up and telling stories of artifacts. My research focuses on connecting and applying innovative design to preserve cross-culture in the east and west with my fashion and costume design background.
I am working as a research assistant for Dr. Karen Gracy.
Ying Zhu
she/her/hers
yzhu28@kent.edu
Primary Field of Study Area: Media, Technology, and Society
My research interests are mainly in the fields of computer-mediated communication and communication education.
My advisor is Dr. Michael Beam and I have been a research assistant for Dr. David Silva.