Student Profiles

Email: tingyuc3@illinois.edu Research Interests Tingyu Chen is a Ph.D candidate at the Institute of Communications Research with a focus on cinema and media studies. Her research interests include gender and screen cultures, women’s cinema, Chinese cinema, VFX, globalization and cultural… Read More

Email: hji10@illinois.edu Research Interests Haochen is a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Communication Research. Before joining ICR, she earned her master's degree in communication from Northwestern University and her bachelor's degree in public relations with a minor in applied statistics… Read More

Email: klw6@illinois.edu Research Interests Critical Cultural Studies  Black Popular Culture  Television & Film  Race & Media Representation Recent Publications/Presentations Williams, K., McKoy, C. D. (2023, November 17). Abbott Elementary: Utilizing Critical Communication… Read More

Email: gd39@illinois.edu Research Interests A storyteller and published author from Fortaleza, Brazil, Gustavo Nery is a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Communications Research. He holds a BA in journalism from the University of Fortaleza and an MA in theatre studies from Illinois State… Read More

Email: dw36@illinois.edu Research Interests Duo Wang is a researcher and entrepreneur committed to exploring the convergence of mixed reality and generative AI for the next generation of immersive interaction and 3D storytelling. Research interests include: Virtual/Augmented Reality (VR/AR)… Read More

Email: gpaxton2@illinois.edu Research Interests Media Literacy, Scholastic Journalism, Visual Communication, Education Recent Publications/Presentations Paxton, G. (2024). The State of Media Literacy Education in Indiana Schools. Common Ground, Bloomington, Indiana.  Mudavadi, K., Hwang, J.,… Read More

Email: yujinl3@illinois.edu Research Interests Yujin's research interests include virtual reality, artificial intelligence, social media marketing, celebrity endorsement, media usage, and cultural analysis. She is a doctoral student at the Institute of Communications Research. She completed her… Read More

Email: nz20@illinois.edu Research Interests My research interests encompass the global media industry, China studies, and game studies. Currently, I am focused on two primary research areas. The first area examines the formation of the global video game industry. For instance, I investigate how… Read More

Email: jiyeonc2@illinois.edu Research Interests Jiyeon is a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Communications Research. Jiyeon studies media psychology and technology-mediated communication. Her research explores cognitive frameworks to understand perceptions that influence information processing… Read More

Email: rji3@illinois.edu Research Interests My research centers on the psychology of persuasion in digital media, with a particular focus on social media platforms. I investigate how consumers interpret and react to persuasive messages such as advertisements and health-related messages by brands… Read More