Huan Chen, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Advertising

College of Journalism and Communications

2024 Awardee

Huan Chen studies the intersection of new technology and communication, particularly how that affects advertising and marketing practices as well as consumers’ responses to the new, artificial intelligence-driven digital landscape.

“Over the past few years, I have established my expertise in the field of new media and communications by exploring how digital and emerging technologies shape consumer behavior and marketing strategies,” Chen says. “My work includes extensive investigations into digital advertising techniques such as influencer marketing, the cultural implications of global marketing practices and the ethical challenges of navigating privacy and trust in digital consumer interactions.”

Chen is currently engaged in five research projects, three of which explore the dynamic relationship between AI and communication. These include using computational methods to enrich qualitative advertising research; analyzing advertising and marketing professionals’ perceptions of generative AI’s role in branding; and studying consumer reactions to AI-generated advertising disclosures. The other two projects focus on social media, examining international brands’ cultural positioning strategies and user perceptions of emerging anonymous social media applications.

“AI is changing the advertising and marketing landscape in profound ways,” Chen says. “It’s crucial that we study these impacts from multiple angles — from the perspectives of industry professionals implementing AI tools to the consumer experience of AI-generated content. This research can help guide responsible and effective deployment of AI in advertising contexts.”

Chen’s exploration of topics such as social media marketing, AI and advertising has significantly enriched the theoretical understanding of advertising and has important applied implications for the industry, says Spiro Kiousis, executive associate dean of the College of Journalism and Communications.

As of May, Chen had produced 78 peer-reviewed publications, including 44 in the last five years. She has secured over $400,000 in grants as the lead or co-lead investigator.

Her scholarly contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Outstanding Paper in the 2023 Emerald Literati Awards and the Annual McGraw Hill Distinguished Scholar Award in 2019. She has been honored with the American Academy of Advertising Research Fellowship three times. Her work has garnered more than 1,300 citations, placing her research impact in the top 5% of communication and media scholars.