Yijia (Erika) Zhu

YEE-jyah (AIR-ih-kuh) JOO

PhD student in Communication @ University of Wisconsin–Madison

I study how people navigate complex media environments and empower them to make informed, deliberate decisions.

My research explores how people navigate AI-driven and algorithmic media environments, where information overload, misinformation, and polarization pose significant challenges. I examine media use in these complex environments and the role of media and personal factors in shaping beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

As an interdisciplinary scholar with an engineering background, I combine computational data analysis with traditional quantitative methods, particularly surveys and experiments, and integrating digital trace data (e.g., clicks, viewing duration, and social endorsements) with self-reported measures. My goal is to develop strategies that support the public good.

My work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including Human Communication Research, Information, Communication & Society, Journal of Health Psychology, among others.

🕵️ Doing research allows me to uncover the truth like a detective.

View my CV

News

05/2026: Selected as a 2026–2027 AEJMC MCSD Diversity and Inclusion Career Development Fellow.
05/2026: Co-authored paper The Human Factor in AI Governance published in Technology in Society.
04/2026: Received Jean W. Fewster Scholarship and Nellie McCannon Scholarship from UW-Madison ($2,600).
01/2026: First-authored paper The Power of Context published in Human Communication Research.
08/2025: First-authored paper ‘Hook’-Shaped Polarization published in Information, Communication & Society.
04/2025: Received Nellie McCannon Scholarship from UW–Madison ($1,500).
08/2024: Began serving as a Project Assistant in Science Communication Incubator (SCI) Lab, funded by Morgridge Institute for Research.
08/2024: Continuing my PhD journey in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at UW–Madison, advised by Prof. Dietram A. Scheufele and Prof. Dominique Brossard.
07/2024: First-authored paper What Motivates Information (Non-)Seeking Behaviors about a Healthy Diet? published in Journal of Health Psychology.
06/2024: Served as Panel Chair for the Environmental Communication Division at the 74th Annual ICA Conference.
04/2024: Serving as a Research Fellow on the grant “Public Reactions to Promotional Campaigns and Concerns Surrounding AI Utilization” (PI: Dr. Hao Xu), funded by the 2024 Early Career Researcher Grant, University of Melbourne (AUD $25,000).
05/2023: Co-first-authored paper What Motivates People to Counter Misinformation on Social Media? published in Online Information Review.
01/2023: Began serving as a Lecturer and Research Assistant in the Department of Media, Knowledge and Communication at the University of Augsburg (Germany), under the supervision of Prof. Sebastian Scherr.
09/2021: Enrolled in PhD program in the Department of Communication & Journalism, Texas A&M University, advised by Prof. Sebastian Scherr.

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