About

Hello! I am currently a dual-title Ph.D. candidate in Political Science and Asian Studies at the Pennsylvania State University, where I expect to defend my dissertation in Spring 2024.

My dissertation examines how countries use social media to advance their foreign policy interests and whether these efforts can influence foreign public opinion. My research interests include public diplomacy, Chinese foreign policy, social media, Sino-American relations, and international political economy. Methodologically, I am interested in quantitative political science, text analysis, survey experiments, and digital humanities.

My teaching interests are closely related to my research, and I believe they mutually benefit each other. I am interested in teaching substantive courses in international relations, comparative politics, diplomacy, Chinese foreign policy, Chinese politics, social media and politics, U.S.-China relations, and international political economy. Additionally, I am interested in teaching courses on social science research methods, with a particular focus on quantitative analysis, text-as-data methods, and survey design and analysis.

I received my M.A. in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University in May of 2021 with specializations in International Relations and Comparative Politics. Prior to attending Penn State, I received an M.A. in International Relations from Beijing Normal University and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus.

My pronouns are he/his/him. Please view my CV, Research, and Teaching pages for more information about my work, or feel free to contact me via email (amv5718@psu.edu).