Graduate Research Assistants
Matthew Craig Research assistant Matthew Craig is a MA student in Communication at Western Michigan University. Outside of academia, he has various consulting experiences in the nonprofit and political industries. Matthew’s research interests primarily revolve around computer-mediated communication in interpersonal relationships, human-machine communication, and human-robot interactions. Matthew’s current research focuses on robot impression management in human-robot interaction and computer-mediated communication in online queer online spaces and applications. |
Xianlin Jin Research Assistant Xianlin Jin is a PhD student in Communication Studies at the University of Kentucky. She is also a member of Integrated Research on Disaster and Risk Young Scientist Programme. Xianlin’s research primarily focuses on health communication, disaster and risk communication. Xianlin is interested in exploring the communication between social robotics and human beings during the risk information seeking process. |
Zhenyang Luo research assistant Zhenyang Luo is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication at North Dakota State University. Zhenyang’s research primarily focuses on communication and technology, media psychology, and human-robot interaction. Currently, Zhenyang is exploring how people build mental models of social robots, and how the mental models influence following interactions. |
Varun Rijhwani Visiting Scholar Varun Rijhwani is an exchange student at Western Michigan University from MICA, India. His Ph.D. is focused on understanding the nature of change and its impact when machines (the digital voice assistants) in the communication process replace humans. He is interested in exploring how the social self is shaped keeping in mind such interactions in the context of digital voice assistant devices, such as Alexa, Siri, Google Home, etc. Also, he wants to understand what kind of different relationships people build with anthropomorphized devices and how these relationships affect actual and intended future usage? Given that no communication is perfect, what are the barriers to the new type of communication that has evolved with the changing role of technology is something Varun is further interested in exploring. |
Keenan Roberts research assistant Keenan Roberts is an MA student in the Department of Communication at Western Michigan University. His work highlights an interest in interpersonal communication and intersectionality. Keenan is currently interested in the ways computer mediated messages impact identity formation in varying social contexts. |
Jasmine Stahl Research Assistant Jasmine Stahl is a graduate research assistant for the Communication and Social Robotic Labs at Western Michigan University. Her Master's degree in Communication is focused on emerging technologies and future implications as it relates to human-machine communication and human robot interaction. Her work experience includes conducting research, social media management, and event coordination for the lab and other organizations. She is passionate about the evolution of social robotics and artificial intelligence and is excited for her future career in this emerging industry. Jasmine is a 2019 graduate from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. |