About
As a Ph.D. in Mass Communication, I am passionate about understanding the supportive effects of media technology and message framing on well-being. My abiding theoretical focus is on how message framing shapes information processing and decision-making, and how the affordances of technology shape user experiences, usage patterns, and social outcomes, especially in the context of health behaviors and health disparities.
Specifically, most of my recent work centers on using e-health, m-health, and social media to enhance the quality of life among vulnerable populations. My dissertation introduced a novel framework for studying health support systems in the context of substance use disorders (SUD). It brings together work on social integration, technology affordances, mobile telephony, and self-determination theory to examine how patterns of mobile health (mHealth) SUD support system relate to recovery outcomes.
By applying conventional and computational methods, I specialize in media analytics and observing digital communication patterns to provide insight into strategy-making. I have published eight articles and have other pieces under review. I am also pursuing research grants that aim to improve the quality of life in local communities. After work, I am an outdoorsy person who enjoys hiking and traveling.
