Principle Investigator

Elliot Panek, Ph.D.

Elliot Panek studies the uses and effects of digital media from sociological and psychological perspectives. He has published research in top-tier academic journals on the topics of social media and narcissism, texting while driving, media addiction, and media use and political polarization.

Group Members

Rebecca K Britt, Ph.D.

Rebecca Britt focuses on the use of large scale web data in the context of health communication scholarship, where she studies online communities, campaign development, and public health discourse.

Naiyan Jones

Naiyan Jones is a graduate from the University of Birmingham, UK. He uses mixed methods approaches to investigate online political communications, social media platforms and online communities.

Courtny Franco

Courtny Franco is a doctoral student at the University of Alabama. She studies social factors and media effects that influence how we construct and perceive emotional experiences across a multitude of situations and mediated-interpersonal contexts. 

Khadiza T Jannat

Khadiza Jannat is a doctoral student in the College of Communication and Information Sciences, specializing in health and organizational communication, and public health. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, her research focuses on face-to-face and virtual provider-patient communication, media representation of health information and subordinate groups, online communities, online health information seeking, and conflict resolution strategies among healthcare professionals.

Matthew Gaines

Matthew Gaines is an undergraduate student at the University of Alabama, studying finance & economics.

Former Group Members

Wyatt Harrison

Wyatt Harrison is a graduate of the University of Alabama where he studied management information systems. 
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Jue 'Lucas' Hou

Lucas Hou is a graduate of the College of Communication & Information Sciences Doctoral Program at The University of Alabama, where he studied the perception of Esports in China and the United States. 

Connor Hollenbach

Connor Hollenbach, M.A. is a graduate of The University of Alabama. His research interests include machine learning and big data.

Tyler Rhodes

Tyler Rhodes is a graduate of the University of Alabama. His research interests include shape morphing robotic structures.

Jinjie Yang

Jinjie Yang M.A. is a graduate of the College of Communication & Information Sciences at The University of Alabama. His research interests include news frames, trust, and online social dynamics.