Jack Lipei Tang, Ph.D.

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Reese Phifer Hall

901 University Blvd

Tuscaloosa, AL 35487

Welcome to my website! I am a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Digital Communication in the Department of Advertising & Public Relations at The University of Alabama’s College of Communication & Information Sciences. My research centers on the convergence of advocacy communication, social media, social networks, and computational social science. I draw heavily on network theory and machine learning to explain communication behaviors and outcomes in digital advocacy.

I employ a diverse range of quantitative and computational methods, including surveys, inferential network modeling, machine learning, natural language processing (NLPs), structural equation modeling, and path analysis. Qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews and participatory observation complement my research. My work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals across communication, information science, and interdisciplinary fields. You will most likely see me in conferences like ICA, NCA, AEJMC, and ICS2S.

Before joining UA, I earned my Ph.D. at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, USC. I hold an M.Phil. in Communication, a B.S.Sc. in Journalism and Communication, and a B.B.A. in Finance from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

My current projects examine the strategic communication and network building of nonprofits in the U.S.; political behaviors and social media; and the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) in communication and social science and their consequences. If you are interested in these topics, please reach out for a collaboration, a conversation, or simply, a recommendations of my favorite paper.

news

Mar 1, 2025 I will be presenting at the 2025 ICA Annual Conference, Denver including one top paper session :trophy:
Aug 15, 2024 I will be presenting at two best paper sessions at the 2024 NCA Annual Convention:trophy:
Aug 6, 2024 My Ph.D. has been officially conferred! :man_student:
Jul 20, 2024 I presented a study at the 2024 IC2S2, Philadelphia :desktop_computer:
Jun 20, 2024 I virtually presented a paper in 2024 ICA, Gold Coast! :studio_microphone:
more news

selected publications

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    Third places and national contexts among Generation Z in a mobile game: Quantitatively examining third place characteristics and well-being of players from Brazil, China, and the United States
    Ke Huang-Isherwood, and Jack Lipei Tang
    First Monday, Dec 2024
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    Sympathy for the Devil: Serial mediation models for toxicity, community, and retention
    Mingxuan LiuJack Lipei Tang, and Dmitri Williams
    Media and Communication, Sep 2024
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    Policy communication in times of public health crisis: Longitudinal network analysis of U.S. politician-health agency interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic
    Computers in Human Behavior, Nov 2023