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.

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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.

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