Jessica (Jessi)
Zier
Doctoral Student
Hi! I'm Jessi, a second-year doctoral student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. I'm the lab manager for the Center of Media Psychology and Social Influence, and a collaborator in the Computational Journalism Lab.
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Based in the communication subfields of media psychology and human-computer interaction, my research explores the psychology of persuasion, information seeking, and decision making in the context of computer-mediated communication. I am particularly interested in how generative AI advancements influence the information landscape and how humans respond to these communication evolutions.
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​Outside of academia, I enjoy thrifting, scrapbooking, musical theatre, biking by the lake, and eating all sorts of foods! ​​
Background
I was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, but I've had the honor to live, work, and study in ten countries across five continents, exploring digital innovation in various fields and contexts, which has inspired my academic path.
I got my BSc in Cognitive Neuroscience and Sociology from Minerva University, an innovative and global undergraduate program. As part of the second graduating class (ever!) I spent 4 years in 6 countries across the world (USA, South Korea, India, England, Germany, Argentina), experiencing the world as my classroom. I interned at the Ministry of Education in Buenos Aires, was a program manager at Stanford's Pre-Collegiate Summer Program, and completed my capstone project on the Internet as a Catalyst for Social Change.
I completed my MA as a fully-funded Erasmus Mundus Scholar in the Digital Communication Leadership (DCLead) program in the Digital Communication, Policy and Innovation in Europe track. The degree was jointly awarded by Universität Salzburg and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. During my time in Brussels, I interned at Fujitsu, where I was able to participate in the lobbying and negotiations for the AI Act on behalf of the company. My current research now considers the impact of the AI Act (and other digital regulations) on how humans communicate.
I'm a second-year doctoral student (qualifying exams in process) in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. I help manage the Center of Media Psychology and Social Influence, under the mentorship of Dr. Nathan Walter. I also collaborate with the Computational Journalism Lab, under the guidance of Dr. Nicholas Diakopolous.