Student Profiles

Email address: mz44@illinois.edu RESEARCH INTERESTS My research interest is computational political communication, with particular focuses on communication process (network and structure)/mechanism and media effect. All my research interests serve the final purpose of helping build a better… Read More

Email: smg8@illinois.edu Research Interests I analyze television series and films that center U.S. Latinx teen girls and young women, friendship, chosen family, and deconstructions of the nuclear family, while looking closely at how these concepts are intertwined with race, ethnicity, culture,… Read More

Email: rikray2@illinois.edu RESEARCH INTERESTS    I am primarily interested in exploring the structure and architecture of social media platforms. My current research agenda focuses on exploring the role of such structural and architectural affordances in matters of Internet policy deliberation… Read More

Email: chenc4@illinois.edu COHORT: 2018 RESEARCH INTERESTS    My research focuses on understanding the influence of unique characteristics of immersive environment on individuals’ information processing, cognitive performances and decision making. It turns into three inter-related questions: 1)… Read More

Email: jyao13@illinois.edu Jiachen (Lulu) Yao is a 2nd year Ph.D. student in the ICR program. Jiachen got her bachelor degree in Communication Studies at South China University of Technology. She got her master degree in advertising at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jiachen is mainly… Read More

Email: kbwilso2@illinois.edu Kerry Wilson received her master's degree in communication with an emphasis in women's studies in 2011 and a bachelor's degree in communication and a bachelor's degree in African American studies in 2009 from Saint Louis University. Her research focuses on African… Read More

Email: zwang101@illinois.edu I am currently a first year PhD student at ICR. I graduated from Nankai University with dual degree of economics and English literature/translation and recently graduated from the University of Illinois with M.S. in advertising. I have expansive interests in psychology… Read More

Email: ranju3@illinois.edu Ran Ju holds a B.A. from Fudan University (China) in journalism and a Master in International Affairs at Columbia University. Ran Ju's encounters with political and economic studies in both US and China have led her to value collaborative frameworks for research and… Read More

Email: vfort@illinois.edu Vernita Pearl Fort entered ICRs Ph.D. program after completing a diplomatic career with the United States Agency for International Development, United States Department of State. She worked in 40 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the… Read More

Email: astra2@illinois.edu RESEARCH INTERESTS I am interested in how the status of religion is used in national iconography and ritual, and how religion and religious messages are used to justify certain acts or attitudes of the individual and organizations. My work involves tracing the evolution… Read More