Xinyan Zhao, Ph.D.

I am an assistant professor in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My research is centered on computational strategic communication, exploring how individuals and organizations use social media to consume, share, and network information in crisis and health contexts. As a methodologist, I specialize in various computational techniques, including AI-driven large language models (LLMs), machine learning,  and social network analysis, and have co-developed TLSA for automated emotion analysis. I lead the deep learning lab with GPU computational units for large-scale analysis.