Alumni

Dr. Arul Chib, Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University, and Director of the Singapore Internet Research Center, studies the contribution of information and communication technologies towards positive development outcomes. His research agenda focuses on the impact and role of mobile phones in healthcare systems in resource-constrained environments of developing countries, and in transnational migration to…

Jack Linchuan Qiu is a Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he serves as deputy director of the C-Centre (Centre for Chinese Media and Comparative Communication Research). His publications include World’s Factory in the Information Era 信息时代的世界工厂 (Guangxi Normal University Press, 2013),Working-Class Network Society (MIT Press,…

Before joining Annenberg as a PhD student, Jingyi Sun was a TV professional with China Central TV for nearly seven years. She worked in the exciting and challenging field of international news reporting for five years, during which she gained substantial knowledge about international affairs, and then joined a feature talk show program dedicated to…

Kurt is a first-year PhD student in Urban Planning and Development at the Price School of Public Policy, and is currently studying the implications of the digital divide in Skid Row and beyond with ARNIC. More broadly, his research interests lie in the areas of homelessness, community planning, critical GIS, and recently, queer studies. Kurt…

Dr. Martin Hilbert pursues a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the role of information, communication, and knowledge in the development of complex social systems. He holds doctorates in Economics and Social Sciences (2006; F.A.U. Germany), and in Communication (2012; University of Southern California, USC). Before joining UC Davis, he created and coordinated the Information Society Programme…

Matthew N. Bui researches the potential for, and obstacles to, social and political change through the use of communication and technology as tools for intervention. He is particularly interested in issues pertaining to diversity and empowerment within urban communities, and how national and international digital policies and initiatives can foster civic engagement and economic development.…

Nahoi Koo received her B.A. in Communication Studies and Economics from Northwestern University. She also has a minor degree in Chinese Language & Culture. During her undergraduate years, she spent her summers studying abroad at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China and Korea University in Seoul, South Korea. She has also completed internships at Edelman PR…

Namkee Park is Associate Professor and Underwood Distinguished Professor at the Department of Communication, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea. After graduating from the Annenberg School for Communication in 2007, he worked as an assistant professor at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma (OU). Being tenured and promoted to an associate professor…

Nathalie Maréchal is a PhD candidate in Communication at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and holds a BA in International Studies and MA in International Communication, both from American University. She has published articles about human rights advocacy in the digital age, surveillance of welfare recipients in the United…

Nathaniel Ming Curran is a PhD student at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin Madison and earned his MA at the University of California Berkeley. At Berkeley, he conducted research at the intersection of education, identity, and the English language in South Korea. His current…

Rachel received a BA Hons (Cantab) in Social and Political Science at Selwyn College, Cambridge University, where she focused on political engagement and networks. She then went on to study Political Communications at Goldsmiths College, University of London, gaining top honors for her thesis on media indexing in the reporting of the 2012 Benghazi attacks.…

Rong Wang is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Networks for Non-profit and Social Impact (NNSI) at Northwestern University. She is interested in non-profit advocacy, network analysis, organizational communication, and ICT for development. At NNSI, she is currently working on an Army Research Office (ARO) grant examining collective impact and education reform. Rong has published her…

A proud “northerner” from the UK, Sarah Clayton earned her BA in New Media and her LLM in Cyberlaw from the University of Leeds. Her undergraduate thesis examined the IPTV regulatory landscape and her focus shifted to human rights, intellectual property, and access to knowledge during her LLM. While at university, she coauthored a book…

Seungyoon Lee, Associate Professor at the Brian Lamb School of Communication, Purdue University, received her Ph.D. in Communication from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California in 2008. Her research interest focuses on the evolution of communication, knowledge, and collaboration networks in and across organizations over time. Her current…

Specializing in global development impact and effectiveness, Shabnam Shalizi’s doctoral work at USC builds on her applied experience as a practitioner leading and supporting engagements in diverse landscapes, including the volatile setting of war. Her emphasis on communications and change stems from her performance measurement portfolio across multiple countries and sectors, including women’s economic empowerment,…

Sierra Bray is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Annenberg School of Communication. Passionate about bridging the principles of organizational communication with critical and cultural theory, Sierra’s research areas include the social construction of power in organizations, the effects of gender dynamics and gender stereotypes on group members, and the relationship of technology to historically marginalized…

Sulafa Zidani is a doctoral student at USC Annenberg. She researches new media, participatory culture, and digital language and power dynamics, with special interest in China and the Arab World. Sulafa is a speaker of English, Arabic, Hebrew, Mandarin, and French. Prior to joining Annenberg, she worked as a teacher, research assistant, and translator in…

Thai (he/him) earned his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, where his research focused on issues of social equity. Thai is currently the Turpanjian Postdoctoral Fellow in Civil Society and Social Change at the Equity Research Institute. As a mixed-methods researcher, Dr. Le utilizes statistical models,…

Xiangyu Li is an MPL student in the Urban Planning program at the Sol Price School of Public Policy, and currently involved in the Connected Cities project with ARNIC. He received his B.E. in GIS and Cartography from Tongji University. He is also a partner of Beijing Tanizon LLC—a startup focuses on providing industrial photogrammetry and…