Jiun-Yi Tsai

Areas of Specialization: Health communication, Media processes and effects, Digital media analytics, Corporate Social Advocacy

Dr. Jiun-Yi (Jenny) Tsai (PhD, University of Wisconsin–Madison) is an associate professor of Public Relations in the Gaylord College at the University of Oklahoma. Before joining OU, she taught a variety of strategic communication courses at Northern Arizona University.

Her research centers on two areas: (1) developing culturally sensitive health communication interventions and (2) examining the socio-psychological effects of communication dynamics in networked environments. She has published in leading journals, including Journal of Communication, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Journal of Health Communication, Public Relations Review, and Cyberpsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking, among others. Her work has earned multiple top paper awards from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the International Communication Association.

Dr. Tsai employs a wide range of empirical methods, including quantitative approaches such as surveys, field experiments, and content analysis; qualitative approaches such as interviews and focus groups; as well as mixed-method and computational analyses. She has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on several externally funded projects, with support from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the NCAA–Department of Defense, and the Online News Association. 

She actively contributes to the AEJMC Public Relations Division, serving as Co-Chair of the Research Committee, Chair of the Teaching Committee, and Program Planning Chair for the APHA Health Communication Working Group. Beyond her scholarly activities, she enjoys teaching public relations case studies, campaigns, and social media analytics, as well as mentoring emerging researchers.