Xin Ma

My research interests lie in the intersection of risk, crisis, and health communication and public relations, and my teaching experience includes teaching oral communication skills for four semesters (COMM107 Oral Commucnaition: Principles and Practices) as an instructor of record and being a teaching assistant for COMM 201: Introduction to Public Relations. I have consistently employed three core approaches to enrich existing theories and inform practices in these areas. These approaches include examination of the repeated message exposure effects, longitudinal analysis of theories, and advancing public relations theories with advanced statistical analyses and research designs (e.g., the experimental-causal-chain designs from social psychology). I believe that by utilizing improved design and empirical evidence and adding time as a new dimension, I can challenge and refine commonly accepted assumptions and theories, driving theoretical advancement by exploring whether the theory is as truthful or robust as it was proposed.

I have 10 publications in reputable SSCI-indexed communication and psychology journals and book chapters so far, five of which are first authors, including Public Relations Review, Environmental Communication, International Journal of Communication, The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, Journal of Medical Internet Research, and Journal of Health Psychology, among others. I recently received a Top Student Paper award from the International Communication Association (ICA) and another Top Paper award at a conference in China. More information about me can be found on my personal website and Google Scholar page.