Meet Jeyoung (Jenny) Oh, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies

The College of Arts & Sciences community grows with the addition of Jeyoung (Jenny) Oh to the faculty of the Department of Communication Studies!

According to department chair Sarah Rosaen, “Not only is Jenny a phenomenal instructor, but she brings expertise in how new technologies like social media impact message strategies and effectiveness in the advertising and public relations industries.”

Read on to learn more about Jenny in this Q&A.

Classes I teach:

Public Relations, Advanced Public Relations, Advertising, and Advanced Advertising

Recent Publications:

Britt, B. C., Britt, R. K., Hayes, J. L., & Oh, J. (2020). Continuing a community of practice beyond the death of its domain: Examining the Tales of Link subreddit. Behaviour & Information Technology.

Oh, J., & Ki, E.-J. (2019). Factors affecting social presence and word-of-mouth in corporate social responsibility communication: Tone of voice, message framing, and online medium type. Public Relations Review, 45(2), 319-331.

Research or Specific Areas of Interest:

Public relations and advertising, new media and emerging technologies, public engagement, and message strategies.

Degree(s)/Education:

Ph.D. in Mass Communication, University of Alabama (expected)

How I fell in love with my field:

As I grew up, I saw how the rise of social media changed the way people communicate. To better understand the impact that social media and new technologies have on organization-public relationships, I decided to study public relations. The fact that public relations and advertising can make a positive social impact by engaging the public in pro-social campaigns and other initiatives fascinated me.

What I hope for my time at UM-Flint:

UM-Flint provides its students and faculty with great resources, and Flint offers unique opportunities for community engagement due to its revitalization of the downtown area. As a professional communication scholar, I hope to work with organizations based in Flint (especially nonprofit organizations with limited resources) to help them find ways to improve their online presence. It would also be gratifying to have my students participate in these experiences, allowing them to apply their knowledge and make a positive impact on the community.

What I hope for students in my field:

I want my students to become highly competent and to apply the knowledge they learn in class. With my help, they will develop the skills they need to make a positive impact locally and globally. I also want them to be passionate and to believe in themselves. Another one of my goals is to work with students who are interested in learning more about how to communicate with the public effectively.

Three things you should know about me:

• I like to cook and experiment with new recipes.
• I have a pet hamster called Ham-Z.
• I enjoy participating in volunteer work and community activities.