School of Journalism and Mass Communication

What’s Next for Our 2022 PhD Graduates?

Posted on

As summer winds to a close, many of our 2022 Ph.D. alums are heading out into the world and moving on to their next adventures. 

Nearly 87 percent of our graduates are placed in university positions, with 47 percent placed in top-tier research institutions.  About 13 percent find careers in government, private or nonprofit sectors. 

We’re immensely proud of our graduates, especially given the unique circumstances in which they finished their time in SJMC. We know they will continue to do great things wherever they go. 

Here are the new roles some of our graduate alums are taking on: 

Kiran Bhatia, Ph.D. 2022 – Assistant Professor, Tulane University

Kiran Bhatia Mass Communication Ph.D. J-School Takeaway Kindness and Compassion for Self

Shreenita Ghosh, Ph.D. 2022 – Research Associate for the Media and News research team, Pew Research Center

Shreenita Ghosh headshot

Hyungjin Gill, Ph.D. 2022 – Assistant Professor, Cal State Poly Pomona Department of Communication

Hyungjin Gill Mass Communication Ph.D. J-School Quote 'You can tell Gill wants to be here' from an anonymous student's course evaluation

Ornella Hills, Ph.D. 2021 – Assistant Professor, UW-Steven’s Point School of Health Sciences and Wellness

Ornella Hills Mass Communication Ph.D. Certificates in Prevention Science and Strategic Management of Innovation: Technology Organizations and Society J-School Takeaway Creativity, Versatility and resilience. There's always a solution to a problem.

Soo Yun Kim, Ph.D. 2022 – Assistant Professor, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley

Soo Yun Kim Mass Communication Ph.D.

Jianing Li, Ph.D. 2022 – Assistant Professor, University of South Florida

Jianing Li Mass Communication Ph.D. J-School Takeaway Find a community that values and empowers you. Pay it forward.

“Estelle” Ranran Zhu Mi, Ph.D. 2022 – Assistant Professor, Kean University

Estelle Ranran Zhu Mi Mass Communication Ph.D. Ph.D. minor in educational psychology J-School Takeaway I'm very uniques, just like everyone else. I have my own way, schedule, and pace of doing things -- and that's okay.

Yidong Wang, Ph.D. 2022 – Postdoc, University of Kansas

Yidong Wang Mass Communication Ph.D. Ph.D. minor in science and technology studies J-School Takeaway Doing research with love and care.

Yiping Xia, Ph.D. 2022 – Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP) in the School of Information and Library Science

Yiping Xia Mass Communication Ph.D. J-School Memory Grad seminars. I will miss them!

Ellie Yang, Ph.D. 2022 – Assistant Professor of Mass Media, Missouri State University

Ellie Yang Mass Communication Ph.D. Quantitative Methods in Political Science J-School Quote "For an academic career, you'd better prepare to drive your own car, speak simply and practice your elevator pitch." -Dhavan Shah