Welcome to Mengyu’s homepage!

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Mass Communications in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, with a minor in Educational Psychology: Quantitative Methods at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, advised by Professor Dhavan Shah. Currently, I am honored to be the Helen Firstbrook Franklin Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellow for 2024-25. I am a researcher in the Social Media and Democracy (SMAD) and the Brain, Behavior, and WellBeing (B3) Study Team and as a student fellow at the Center for Communication and Democracy (CCD) and the Institute for Diversity Science (IDS) at UW-Madison.

My research focuses on digital media, political communication, and media psychology. I employ computational methods (including natural language processing, large language models, and multi-modal analysis) and quantitative methods (including web-based experiments and cross-national surveys) to examine the role of digital media in influencing people’s perception and engagement in gender politics and women’s health issues. My past and ongoing work empirically investigates:

1. Technological affordances in multiplatform media environment: How do social media platform affordances (e.g., algorithmic curation, shared group culture, connectivity) shape political discourse and mobilization efforts within and across different platforms?
2. Persuasive and mobilizing effects of multimodal & AI-powered content: How do multimodal content (e.g., background music, short videos, presidential debates) and AI-powered media (e.g., comment bots) impact public (mis)perceptions and interaction with social issues on digital media?

I obtained my M.Phil. degree in Communication Studies from Hong Kong Baptist University, my M.A. degree in Global Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and my bachelor’s degree in Management from Renmin University of China. Outside academia, I have worked as a marketing intern and content editor intern at Emerald Group Publishing Limited and NetEase, focusing on optimizing marketing strategies and multiplatform social media campaigns.

In my free time, I’m a foodie who loves embarking on culinary adventures and experimenting with recipes from different cuisines—though not all of them turn out as planned! When Madison is blanketed in snow, you’ll find me cycling on a stationary bike while enjoying a comedy TV show. In the summer, I’m all about playing badminton, which is my favorite warm-weather exercise.