Hello! This is Mengyan!
I am an Assistant Professor (Professor of Practice) with an active research agenda in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Michigan State University (MSU). Before rejoining MSU, I was as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC). My research explores the intersection of health communication, influencer marketing, family communication, and emerging media. Using mixed methods, my work aims to (a) advance the development of impactful public awareness campaigns that provide health education and facilitate family communication to promote well-being, (b) inform influencer marketing regulations that emphasize transparency and prevent misleading information about cannabis-related products, and (c) highlight the need to de-stigmatize the use of AI among individuals with diverse limitations in their daily lives and communication, including but not limited to international students who face language and cultural or historical barriers.

I work part-time as the International Coordinator for the publishing team at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). I also serve on the Teaching Standing Committee at AEJMC, the Graduate Student Scholarship Subcommittee of the Advertising Division at AEJMC, the editorial board of Global Perspectives in Communication, the Thesis and Dissertation Award Committee of the Human Communication and Technology Division at the National Communication Association (NCA), and the Communication Committee at the American Academy of Advertising (AAA). My industry experience includes roles as a marketing manager, writing counselor, marketing analyst, and advertising designer across various organizations. Prior to my career in the U.S., I interned as a journalist and program designer at Beijing Media Network for several years.