Dr. Yingdan Lu

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Yingdan Lu is an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University in the Department of Communication Studies. Her research focuses on the intersection of digital technology and political communication, particularly within authoritarian political contexts. Yingdan employs computational and qualitative methods to understand how authoritarian governments manipulate digital media and artificial intelligence to maintain control, and how individuals interact with these media environments. Her work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals such as Political Communication, New Media & Society, and the International Journal of Press/Politics. Additionally, she has received funding from various organizations, including the National Science Foundation and the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. Yingdan is dedicated to advancing computational methods and developing new frameworks for analyzing multimodal data, including videos and smartphone screenshots. Her ongoing projects aim to pioneer methods for analyzing the interplay of visuals, text, and audio in digital media, with a focus on addressing the challenges of propaganda and information manipulation in the digital age.

Research Interests

Requirements for Northwestern University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
U.S. Bachelor's degree or equivalent
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Statement of purpose
  • Resume/CV
  • TOEFL/IELTS scores (if applicable)
Specialization Notes

Standard PhD requirements for TGS departments including Chemistry, Physics, and Sociology.