Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Communication
University of Southern California
2010

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Telecommunications
Indiana University at Bloomington
2005

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Mass Communications
Yonsei University
2003

Social Media

Health Communication

Community Engagement

Quantitative Research

Capstone: Senior Research Project

Broadcast Management

Leadership and Management Communication

Communication Policy

History of Broadcasting and Film

Introduction to Health Communication

Provost’s Distinguished Service Award, January 2021

Top Paper, Conference Theme Session, International Communication Association (ICA), Seattle, WA, May 2014

Mitigating Home Environmental Asthma Triggers in Subsidized Housing

Mitigating Home Environmental Asthma Triggers in Subsidized Housing: Experiences of Caregivers and Healthcare Workers

Pediatric asthma remains a pressing public health issue, especially among low-income, minority children living in subsidized housing. This study employed a community-based participatory research approach to explore barriers and potential solutions for improving asthma management in this vulnerable population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 caregivers of children with asthma and 8 community health workers in Washington, DC—a city marked by high childhood asthma rates and concentrated subsidized housing

Engaging Minoritized Communities in Clinical Trials Through Social Media

Engaging Minoritized Communities in Clinical Trials Through Social Media: Recommendations from Community-Based Participatory Research

The current study aims to understand what Black and Latino community members know about clinical trials and develop effective messaging to generate interest, improve access, and encourage participation among minoritized populations through social media. Employing community-based participatory research, we formed a community research advisory team and conducted focus group interviews with Black and Latino community members about elements of social media messages that might reduce hesitancy about and increase engagement in clinical trials. From the interview transcripts, we extracted seven key themes: transparency, familiarity, altruism, adaptability, flexibility, recognition, and safety. We suggest leveraging these themes as strategies to craft targeted recruitment messages addressing barriers to participation in clinical trials among Black and Latino community members.

#PreeclampsiaSurvivor on Instagram

#PreeclampsiaSurvivor on Instagram: The Hero’s Journey

Preeclampsia is a common perinatal condition with serious and adverse short- and long-term impacts. Deriving from narrative theory and analyzing Instagram posts with the #preeclampsiasurvivor hashtag, we examined how women use illness-related narratives and images to share vivid, lived stories of preeclampsia. An analysis revealed subjective and “real” experiences of women identifying as preeclampsia survivor and their ability to tell “my story.” We find the hero’s journey (i.e. quest narrative, monomyth) framework provides a useful reappraisal tool for women managing preeclampsia and offers maternity care practitioners a new perspective on how to engage preeclampsia patients and survivors.

Health-related needs of survivors of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

Health-related needs of survivors of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: implications for health communication interventions

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are key contributors to maternal morbidity, mortality, and future risk of cardiovascular disease. This exploratory study aimed to unearth the health-related needs of women with a reported history of HDP by inquiring about preferences for care.

Deductive, qualitative analysis was conducted of HDP survivors’ retrospective ‘wishes’ about the care received.

A home visit program for low-income African American children with asthma

A home visit program for low-income African American children with asthma: Caregivers' perception of asthma triggers and a gap in action

The goals are to gauge caregivers' knowledge of at-home asthma triggers and identify the areas on which educational campaigns can focus to alleviate a child's asthma symptoms.

Families with children with moderate to severe asthmatic symptoms who had been recently hospitalized or in the emergency room were invited to participate in a home visit program. As part of the home visit, caregivers of the asthmatic children were asked a series of questions on asthma triggers and the measures for eliminating the triggers (N = 218).

Findings show a gap between caregivers' perception of asthma triggers and the actions to mitigate or avoid such triggers.

A Case Study of Community

A Case Study of Community—Academic Partnership in Improving the Quality of Life for Asthmatic Urban Minority Children in Low-Income Households

Community–academic partnerships (CAPs) are being increasingly used to study and address health disparity issues. CAPs help to create new bodies of knowledge and innovative solutions to community problems, which benefits the community and academia. Supported by a grant, a partnership was formed between an academic research team and a community health organization to analyze and interpret data collected from the caregivers of asthmatic African American children living in urban low-income households. Using a case study approach, we discuss how we built a healthy CAP and the lessons learned from the process. Our analysis was guided by the six main factors that facilitate success in developing collaborative relationships, including (1) environment; (2) membership; (3) process and structure; (4) communication; (5) purpose; and (6) resources. Based on these six factors, we describe our collaboration process, challenges, and areas for improvement. We aimed to provide a “points-to-consider” roadmap for academic and community partners to establish and maintain a mutually beneficial and satisfactory relationship. Collaborating with community members and organizations provides unique opportunities for researchers and students to apply their skills and knowledge from textbooks and the classroom, engage with community members, and improve real-life community needs. Building a constructive CAP involves efforts, energy, and resources from both parties. The six major themes derived from our project offer suggestions for building a healthy, collaborative, and productive relationship that best serves communities in the future.