MTS Students on the Job Market

Rod Abhari
Website

Rod Abhari is a Ph.D. candidate interested in understanding the changing relationship between science and the public in a digitalized society. At Northwestern, he works with Dr. Agnes Horvat to produce network mappings of online science discussions and with Dr. Nathan Walter to situate these maps in theories of science and health communication. He holds an M.A. in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and an M.A. in Science and Technology studies (STS) from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.

Emily A. Andrews
emilyandrews@u.northwestern.edu

Website & LinkedIn
Emily A. Andrews is a doctoral candidate (ABD) in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. Her research explores how factors including cognitive biases, preexisting attitudes, and experiences shape our engagement with and understanding of information across contexts within our highly saturated information landscape.

Hoda Fakhari

LinkedIn & hoda@u.northwestern.edu

Hoda is a Ph.D. candidate in the Media, Technology, and Society program and M.S. candidate in Applied Statistics at Northwestern. She is a member of Dr. Courtney Scherr’s Advancing Risk Communication in Health (ARCH) Lab and Dr. Erik Nisbet’s Center for Communication and Public Policy (CCPP). Broadly, she studies how the communication of complex and uncertain information in the contexts of science and health influences people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Using mixed-methods, her research focuses on explicating, measuring, and evaluating the role of complexity and uncertainty in risk perception and decision-making in order to develop communication interventions that promote healthier, safer, and more equitable outcomes for individuals and society. Hoda holds a B.S. in Biochemistry and B.A. in English with a concentration in media, rhetoric, and cultural studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and an M.S. in Health Communication from Northwestern.

Valerie Gruest
Valerie Gruest, OLY

LinkedIn & valgruest@u.northwestern.edu

Valerie Gruest is a Ph.D. candidate in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. She conducts research under the guidance of Prof. Pablo Boczkowski and Prof. Nathan Walter, and is affiliated with both the Center for Latinx Digital Media and the Center for Media Psychology & Social Influence (COM-PSI).

Valerie’s research lies at the intersection of health and sports communication, media psychology, and internet studies. She is particularly interested in how digital and body-centric content shapes attitudes, behaviors, and well-being. Specifically, her work explores the influence of new media technologies on body image and eating disorders, the representation and participation of marginalized identities in digital spaces, and both the psychobehavioral effects and the broader influence of fitness-related content on attitudes and behaviors. A central goal of her scholarship is to produce research with tangible social impact–particularly in the areas of media literacy and digital well-being in underrepresented communities and athletic spaces.

She holds an M.A. in Media, Technology, and Society and a B.A. in Communication Studies, with a double major in Art Theory & Practice, both from Northwestern University. Valerie’s academic interests and social impact efforts are deeply informed by her experience as an Olympic swimmer (Rio 2016). She currently serves as Chair of the PanAm Aquatics Athletes’ Committee, where she leads initiatives focused on athlete well-being, mental health, and safe sport promotion across the Americas. Top Paper, Sport Communication Division, National Communication Association (NCA): 2025.

Callie S. Kalny

calliekalny@u.northwestern.edu

Callie is a doctoral candidate in the MTS program and the co-director of the Center of Media Psychology & Social Influence (COM-PSI) at Northwestern. Advised by Dr. Nathan Walter, her research broadly examines the emotional, cognitive, and metacognitive mechanisms that shape the way we interact with– and are ultimately influenced by– mediated information. Focusing primarily on contexts related to politics, health, and science, her work investigates the role that emotions and affective experiences play in the processing of (mis)information, the effects of uncertainty on judgements and decision-making, and the persuasive influence of narrative storytelling. Callie is a graduate of Mercer University (B.A., Communication Studies) and Wake Forest University (M.A., Communication).

 

Chloe Mortenson

Website
Chloe Mortenson is an ABD PhD Candidate in the Center for Communication and Public Policy. Her research examines the intersection of public opinion and communication, focusing on how media and message framing shape public attitudes toward politics, social issues, and democratic governance.

Her work spans four key areas: strategic communication research that explores how message channels and content influence political attitudes and election trust; artificial intelligence studies investigating how AI models from different nations may impact political socialization and democratic alignment; digital media research examining how online platforms facilitate the spread of both mainstream and extreme political content; and political communication work that seeks to better understand public conceptualizations of democracy and support for democratic institutions. Using methodologies including survey experiments, multi-level modeling, conjoint experiments, and machine learning approaches, she has worked with major datasets such as the World Values Survey and VDEM. Her research aims to improve political messaging, reduce perceived polarization, and enhance democratic communication by identifying the factors that drive public attitudes toward governance and political participation. Chloe holds a BA in Communication and International Relations from Duquesne University and an MA in Communication from The Ohio State University.

MTS Students

Sara Abdulla
Sara M. Abdulla is a joint PhD/JD student in Media, Technology, and Society, and works with Dr. Ignacio Cruz. Broadly, Sara examines how institutions and power structures, new technologies, and social processes interact. She is particularly interested in how power dynamics related to technologies can be codified and affected within policy, such as in children’s media regulation. Before coming to Northwestern, she worked at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology and prior to that, at CDC in enteric disease surveillance. Sara holds a Bachelor’s in Neuroscience with a minor in Philosophy from Georgia State University, and a Master’s in Analytics from Georgia Tech.

Kevin Ackermann
Kevin Ackermann is a 4th year PhD student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. He is interested in studying impacts of commercialization on digital community space, historicizing platform governance conversations, and thinking about the political (and emotional) ramifications of quantification. In the past, my attempts to study these topics have largely revolved around studying dead computer networks of the 80s and 90s. Said another way, Kevin is interested in how communities form and falter online, and what it’s like to be a part of one.

Taylor Agajanian
Taylor Agajanian is a PhD student in the Media, Technology, and Society program advised by Dr. TJ Billard. Her research is situated in the problematic information space and focuses on gendered and identity-based harm through a critical lens, both on and offline. Previously, she worked with the UW Center for an Informed Public on implementing rapid response frameworks for problematic information on social media, including The Virality Project and the Election Integrity Partnership. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Washington iSchool and a Bachelor’s in Film and Media Studies from California State University Long Beach.

Thatiany Andrade Nunes

thatianyandrade@u.northwestern.edu
Thatiany Andrade Nunes (Thaty, pronounced like Tatchi) is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University, where she is advised by Dr. Aaron Shaw and affiliated with the Community Data Science Collective. Her research broadly centers on how communication and information technologies shape social outcomes and influence online communities. She’s interested in analyzing the different types of community participants (such as lurkers and active contributors) and exploring their motivations for engagement. Her interests include the various forms of community involvement, such as collaboration, political mobilization, and organization.

Prior to joining Northwestern, Thaty lived in South Korea for seven years, where her passion for studying online communities was sparked during her work with game companies. In these roles, she was responsible for creating social media content, organizing community events, and managing online platforms. She holds a Bachelor of Design from Salvador University – UNIFACS, Brazil, and a M.Sc. in Visual Contents from Dongseo University, South Korea.

Walker West Brewer
Walker Brewer (they/them) is a PhD student in the Media, Technology, and Society program in the School of Communication working with Dr. TJ Billard. Walker’s research explores how individuals construct meaning through political and cultural information across various scales of experience: local and global, in-person and digital, institutional and grassroots. Walker examine’s how people understand themselves within social environments, navigate these spaces, and ultimately challenge, disrupt, or conform to the normative forces that shape society. Walker’s work currently centers on transgender issues, but their questions extend into political communication, critical race studies, disability justice, and other resistance frameworks that challenge dominant modes of meaning-making and academic inquiry. For more info on Walker and their research/teaching/publications visit walkerwestbrewer.com 

Jamie A. Cooley
Website
Jamie is a third year MTS student whose interests include: content creators, platformed labor, intersectionality, and platform ethics.She works with both Dr. AJ Christian and Dr. Moya Bailey.
Jamie works closely with the Digital Apothecary Lab.

Molly de Blanc
Website
M.J. de Blanc is a Ph.D. student in Media, Technology & Society. They are in the Creative Interfaces Research and Design Studio, advised by Dr. Duri Long.  They work with medical device users and people with disabilities to understand the ways technological artifacts mediate people’s expression, experience, and identity during embodied creative collaborations. They hold a Master of Arts in bioethics from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Pittsburgh. Their master’s thesis presented a consent-based argument for right to repair in healthcare focusing on the ongoing consent process and the concept of irrevocable consent. They have healthy co-dependent relationships with their cat, bike, and sourdough starter.

Christopher Dobmeier
dobmeier@u.northwestern.edu
Chris Dobmeier is a third-year PhD student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University, working in the Center Of Media Psychology and Social Influence (COM-PSI) with Dr. Nathan Walter. Chris studies the persuasive power of storytelling, particularly through psychological mechanisms that facilitate information processing, such as narrative transportation, identification, and emotional flow. His work expands across various forms of affect (awe, disgust, humor), and has been applied to health, political, and sustainability contexts. Chris currently serves as the Chair of Grants and Fundraising for the Northwestern Prison Education Program. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in Communication from the SUNY University at Buffalo.

Amelia Emery
Amelia Emery is a PhD student in the Media, Technology, and Society program working with Dr. Leslie DeChurch and Dr. Ignacio Cruz. Her research interests include team wellbeing, virtual teams, and team leadership in the workplace. She is an instructor of “Field Studies in the Modern Workplace” in the Chicago Field Studies program. Amelia holds a B.A. in Psychology and French and an M.A. in Media, Technology, and Society from Northwestern University.

Catalina Farías
Catalina Farías is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society doctoral program working with Dr. Pablo J. Boczkowski and a graduate student affiliate of the Center for Latinx Digital Media. Her research primarily focuses on digital inclusion in marginalized communities and how the Latinx community in the US accesses and uses new technologies. Other topics in which she is interested include networked social movements and gender dynamics. Born and raised in Santiago, Chile, she holds a BA in Social Communication from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She has worked on projects on global feminist digital activism and online countermovements, and digital inclusion in rural and isolated communities in Chile. She also is affiliated with the Millennium Nucleus in Digital Inequalities and Opportunities in Chile.

Gabriel Garlough-Shah
Gabriel is a first year doctoral student in the Media, Technology, and Society program. His interests center around addressing questions within the fields of information retrieval, human-computer interaction, and consumer behavior; specifically, those concerned with individuals’ use of social media, search engines, and generative AI. These questions largely focus on consumers’ ability to obtain and engage with content on these interactive media, along with affective and behavioral reactions toward said content. His current work investigates the ways in which consumers may be using generative-AI powered search engines (e.g., Google Gemini) and traditional search engines (e.g., Google) in a complimentary manner as they forage for information on the web, focusing on behavioral differences when searching on each platform and affective responses to the layout and presentation of this information. He holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Strategic Communication) and an M.A. from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Mass Communication).

Fatima Gaw
Fatima Gaw is a Media, Technology and Society PhD student at Northwestern University University, working with Dr. Erik C. Nisbet and in the Center for Communication and Public Policy lab. She investigates how media logics, platforms, and ecosystems shape contemporary politics. Her research focuses on the cross-platform analyses of propaganda, disinformation, and elections on social media. Fatima has a Master’s degree in Digital Communication and Culture from the University of Sydney, and a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Communication from the University of the Philippines.

 

Thayane Henriques
Thayane Henriques is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society program advised by Dr. Moya Bailey. She is a member of Dr. Moya Bailey’s Digital Apothecary Lab and a graduate student affiliate at the Center for Latinx Digital Media. From an intersectional lens, her research primarily focuses on exploring how marginalized communities create independent content and potentially challenge stereotypical narratives concerning gender issues perpetuated by traditional media. Other topics in which she is interested include Latinx media studies, digital activism, and platform governance. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she holds a B.A. in Communication Studies (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ), an MBA in Marketing (Brazilian Institute of Capital Markets – IBMEC), and an M.A. in Communication Technologies and Culture (Rio de Janeiro State University – UERJ). Before entering academia, she had several years of experience working as a programming content analyst at a prominent children’s TV channel, part of Brazil’s biggest media company, Grupo Globo.

Nash Jenkins
Nash Jenkins is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society program. His research examines the epistemological, intersubjective, ethical, and political structures that emerge in and organize the digital public sphere: specifically the contemporary rise of conspiracy theories and the circulation of the paranoid affects that inflect them. More broadly, Nash’s work contemplates how the immersive experience of digital media challenges prior ideological notions of selfhood and authenticity, situating its inquiry at the historical and social coordinates of this rupture. Nash holds a M.A. from the University of Chicago and a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University; before entering academia, he worked as a correspondent for TIME Magazine in Hong Kong and Washington.

Savanna Kerstiens
Savanna is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University, working in the Advancing Risk Communication in Health (ARCH) lab. Her research focuses on key areas of health communication in clinical settings, with a particular emphasis on risk prevention, the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions, and patient-provider relationships. Savanna holds a Master of Arts in Health Communication from DePaul University.

Yeha Kim
Yeha Kim is a PhD candidate in the MTS program and a member of the Network for Nonprofit and Social Impact Lab, where I explore ways to create meaningful social impact through communication and related interdisciplinary approaches. My recent research examines referral networks and the role of technology, including AI and predictive analytics, in connecting individuals in need with available resources within the health and social care system.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Li
lizzieli@u.northwestern.edu
Website
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Li is a PhD student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University, where she works with Dr. Jeremy Birnholtz in the Social Media Lab and Dr. Darren Gergle in the CollabLab. Her research in human-computer interaction (HCI) explores how the design of social media platforms can both support and undermine users’ values, goals, and healthy use habits. Lizzie is particularly interested in understanding the effects of everyday social media use on well-being and exploring ways to foreground and promote wellness through system design.

Prior to her studies at Northwestern, Lizzie earned her MA in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University and her BS in Communication and Development Sociology from Cornell University.

Sijia Liu
Sijia is a PhD student in the Media, Technology, and Society program. She is interested in strategic communication to improve behavioral and psychological outcomes, with a particular focus on the role of emotions in health and emerging technology. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges communication, psychology, and public health. Specifically, her research explores how humor and other emotions can enhance positive effects and mitigate negative impacts of health and technology messages on digital media users. She holds an M.A. in Media and Communication (Tsinghua University) and a B.A. in Communication (Sun Yat-sen University).

Xinyi Liu
Xinyi Liu is a Ph.D. student in Media, Technology & Society program. Her research focuses on using experimental and computational methods to understand the use and implications of digital media, generative AI, and social media algorithms.

Alina Majid
Alina Majid is a PhD student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. Alina is interested in conducting research on how patients experience and manage health-related uncertainty and risk. Alina is also interested in how patients make health decisions under uncertain conditions. Before coming to Northwestern, Alina completed a fellowship at the National Cancer Institute. Alina also has a BS in Chemistry and MPH degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Mora Matassi
moramatassi@u.northwestern.edu
Mora Matassi (she / ella) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Media, Technology and Society program. Her research focuses on communication, technology, and digital culture. She holds an M.A. in Media, Technology, and Society (Northwestern University), an Ed.M. in Technology, Innovation, and Education (Harvard University), and a B.A. in Communication (Universidad de San Andrés). Mora has been coordinator of the Center for Latinx Digital Media at Northwestern University and the Center for the Study of Media and Society in Argentina, as well as research assistant for the CLEVR project, a partnership between MIT’s Education Arcade and the MIT Game Lab. Her papers have appeared in New Media & Society, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Social Media & Society, among others. Her book To Know Is to Compare Studying Social Media across Nations, Media, and Platforms, written with Dr. Pablo Boczkowski, will be published by the MIT Press in 2023. Mora has contributed to CNN Radio Argentina and co-produced/hosted a podcast with Revista Anfibia about self-tracking technologies. She has received scholarships from institutions like the Fulbright Commission and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Annie O’Regan
Annie O’Regan is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society program working in Dr. Courtney Scherr’s Health Communication Interaction Design Lab. Annie’s research focuses on understanding how health messaging, especially in a novel context, impacts patient decision-making. She is particularly interested in developing culturally competent public health messaging that combats negative societal discourses, effectively conveys complex scientific information, and inspires positive health behaviors. Before joining Northwestern, Annie worked in biotech and life sciences corporate communication roles. Annie received her BA in Organizational Communication from Villanova University.

Redd Roseboro
redd@u.northwestern.edu
Redd Roseboro (he/they) is a creative media scholar and professional with interests spanning narratology, game studies, fandom, story development, narrative design, and voiceover. Redd is currently a second-year MTS Ph.D. student researching (ludo)narrative frameworks of communication in video games, and is also developing original creative projects.

Haohan Shi
Haohan Shi is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. At Northwestern, he collaborates in the Lab on Innovation, Networks, and Knowledge under the guidance of Dr. Agnes Horvat.

He is broadly interested in misinformation, the science of science, online democracy, computational social science, and AI for social good. His work focuses on advancing online scholarly communication and promoting the democratization of science through digital science dissemination.

He holds an M.A. in Computational Social Science from the University of Chicago and a B.S. in Mathematics/Computer Science and Psychology/Linguistics from Emory University.

Anne-Marie Singh
annemarie@u.northwestern.edu
Anne-Marie Singh is a Ph.D. candidate in the Media, Technology, and Society Program at Northwestern University and is working at the Network for Nonprofit and Social Impact under Dr. Michelle Shumate’s advisorship. She has several years of experience working in environmental nonprofits as a communicator and as a science journalist in public media. Her research interests include organizational communication and cross-sector partnerships in the nonprofit sector. Anne-Marie has a M.S. degree in Science Journalism from Boston University and a B.A. in English Literature from Delhi University, India.

Kai Xin Soh
Kai Xin Soh is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University, where she is part of the OrgFutures Lab and advised by Dr. Ignacio Cruz. As an academic and artist, she is passionate about exploring the socio-cultural intersections and ethical implications of emergent technologies like generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the communication and creative industries, as well as examining how human-AI collaboration and co-creativity can impact individuals, organizations, and society.

With an interdisciplinary background, she graduated with Double Honors (Highest Distinctions) from the National University of Singapore, with a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Communications & New Media and Bachelor of Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing.

Marwa Tahboub
marwatahboub2026@u.northwestern.edu
Marwa Tahboub is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society program. She works in the Network for Nonprofit and Social Impact [NNSI] lab led by Dr. Michelle Shumate. Her research interests surround nonprofits, community organizations, and activism. She received her M.A. from Northwestern, in which her thesis explored how Muslim nonprofits engage in social movements in the United States. She holds a B.A. in professional communication and psychology from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Yanling Zhao
yanlingzhao2028@u.northwestern.edu
Yanling Zhao is a doctoral student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University and a member of the Center for Communication & Public Policy research lab, working with Dr. Erik Nisbet. Her research centers on media effects, political communication, public opinion, with an emphasis on new technology, digital media, and mis/disinformation. Yanling employs a range of methodological approaches in her scholarship, including computational, survey, and experimental methods.

Yanling received a M.A. in Emerging Media Studies from Boston University, M.A. in Chinese Culture from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, a B.A. in Journalism and Communication / B.B.A. in Accounting from Xihua University. She has professional experience working as a commentator and senior editor for the newspaper Hong Kong Commercial Daily in Hong Kong before moving back to academia.

Jessica Zier
Jessica (Jessi) is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology and Society program. She is a member of the Center of Media Psychology and Social Influence (COM-PSI) where she works with Dr. Nathan Walter. Her research focuses on persuasive communication, information processing, and social influence in the context of algorithmic and mediated communication systems. She holds a B.Sc. in Cognitive Neuroscience (Minerva University) and M.A. in Digital Communication (Vrije Universiteit Brussel/University of Salzburg).