Biography

Dr. Yu’s research focuses on health communication and communication technology. Her scholarly work includes studies on immigrant health, health message effects, health information seeking, global health, and the impacts of AI on health practices.

Dr. Yu’s research has been published in premier peer-reviewed journals such as Health Communication, Information Sciences, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, Visual Communication Quarterly, Electronic News, Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, and International Public Health Journal. Her research has been supported by national and regional funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the AEJMC Emerging Scholars Program, and the Dakota Medical Foundation.

Dr. Yu joined the Nicholson School of Communication and Media in 2017. She earned her Ph.D. from Penn State University and began her academic career as a faculty member at North Dakota State University in 2009. She holds a master’s degree from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and a bachelor’s degree from Peking University in her hometown of Beijing, China.

Before entering academia, Dr. Yu worked as a staff reporter for China Daily, covering a wide range of topics, including social, educational, political, and environmental issues in China. She also gained professional experience with two national television networks—CNN (International Newsgathering, Atlanta) and China Central Television (Sports Channel, Beijing). In 2004, she received the China News Award, the nation’s most prestigious journalism honor, for her report on disease-control staff investigating the SARS virus transmission chain.