Yini Zhang

About Me

I’m an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo). I graduated with a Ph.D. in communication from the School of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Research

My research is driven by one core question: How do certain issues and actors capture attention and wield influence in an era of information overload? My approach considers both the technological/structural and user aspects of media, including social media and AI. Specifically, my research program is driven by three interlinked questions:

  • How does attention coalesce around certain issues and actors on social media?
  • How do attention and information flow across the larger media ecosystem?
  • What are the broader implications of the current media ecosystem for public life?

The methods I use in my research are primarily computational. My research often entails several key steps: collecting data from social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, YouTube, and Truth Social), conducting automated text analysis using unsupervised and supervised machine learning, performing community detection through various clustering techniques, and running time series modeling. Besides using existing computational methods, I actively collaborate with colleagues from the fields of statistics and computer science to develop innovative approaches tailored for communication research.

Teaching

I find immense joy in helping students develop their skills and knowledge. At UB, I have had the privilege of teaching an array of courses at undergraduate and graduate levels. These include subjects such as social media and society, introduction to mass communication, research methods, and communication theory. The heartfelt notes of gratitude and appreciation from my students are a continuous source of motivation, inspiring me to consistently enhance my teaching.

Research Lab

In the Communication and Emerging Media (CEM) lab, I lead graduate and undergraduate students at UB and beyond to work on my research projects and help them launch their own projects. We have been doing some really cool research. Check out our recent publications and on-going work on our lab website.

Miscellaneous

Beyond my passion for research and teaching, I like playing with my little one (and his friends). I used to be a big fan of classical and rock music, but as time goes by I find myself gravitating toward the world of podcasts, something I enjoy listening to during my daily commute. I’m continually on the lookout for podcast recommendations!

My dissertation won an award from the Political Communication Division of the American Political Science Association (APSA). A summary is available.

My full CV is available here.

Yini Zhang

About Me

I’m an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo). I graduated with a Ph.D. in communication from the School of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Research

My research is driven by one core question: How do certain issues and actors capture attention and wield influence in an era of information overload? My approach considers both the technological/structural and user aspects of media, including social media and AI. Specifically, my research program is driven by three interlinked questions:

  • How does attention coalesce around certain issues and actors on social media?
  • How do attention and information flow across the larger media ecosystem?
  • What are the broader implications of the current media ecosystem for public life?

The methods I use in my research are primarily computational. My research often entails several key steps: collecting data from social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, YouTube, and Truth Social), conducting automated text analysis using unsupervised and supervised machine learning, performing community detection through various clustering techniques, and running time series modeling. Besides using existing computational methods, I actively collaborate with colleagues from the fields of statistics and computer science to develop innovative approaches tailored for communication research.

Teaching

I find immense joy in helping students develop their skills and knowledge. At UB, I have had the privilege of teaching an array of courses at undergraduate and graduate levels. These include subjects such as social media and society, introduction to mass communication, research methods, and communication theory. The heartfelt notes of gratitude and appreciation from my students are a continuous source of motivation, inspiring me to consistently enhance my teaching.

Research Lab

In the Communication and Emerging Media (CEM) lab, I lead graduate and undergraduate students at UB and beyond to work on my research projects and help them launch their own projects. We have been doing some really cool research. Check out our recent publications and on-going work on our lab website.

Miscellaneous

Beyond my passion for research and teaching, I like playing with my little one (and his friends). I used to be a big fan of classical and rock music, but as time goes by I find myself gravitating toward the world of podcasts, something I enjoy listening to during my daily commute. I’m continually on the lookout for podcast recommendations!

My dissertation won an award from the Political Communication Division of the American Political Science Association (APSA). A summary is available.

My full CV is available here.