Myoung-Gi Chon

Myoung-Gi Chon serves as an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Officer in the School of Communication and Journalism at Auburn University. He holds the position of associated editor at Asian Journal of Public Relations and advises the Korean Student Association. Dr. Chon is actively engaged in research on crisis communication, health issues, and public diplomacy, with recent publications extending into AI applications in communication.

Dr. Chon's educational background includes:

• PhD in Media and Public Affairs from Louisiana State University
• MA in Media and Communication from Korea University
• BA in English (Major) and Media & Communication (Minor) from Korea University
• Certificate in Data Science and Machine Learning from MIT IDSS (2024)

His research centers around risk-crisis management, health communication, and science communication, with particular focus on infectious diseases and environmental issues. Dr. Chon has developed measurement tools including social media activism scales, issues-crisis principles (RAPIDS), and allegiant communication behavior (ACB). His work explores communicative behaviors addressing social challenges in the digital age, extending into public diplomacy applications and AI integration in public relations education.

Dr. Chon's publication pattern shows consistent output with strong emphasis on crisis communication frameworks, health communication during pandemics, and environmental issues. His work spans multiple cultural contexts (US, South Korea, China), demonstrating cross-cultural applicability of communication theories, particularly the Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS). Recent publications increasingly incorporate AI and data science approaches to traditional communication problems.

Dr. Chon has received notable recognitions:

• Research fellowship at USC Center on Public Diplomacy
• Summer 2023 Research & Scholarship Connections Travel Grant to Taiwan
• Certificate in Data Science and Machine Learning from MIT IDSS (2024)
• Member of Auburn University's AI@AU ethics committee for NSF grant integrating AI ethics into STEM education

As Graduate Program Officer, Dr. Chon oversees graduate programs while teaching undergraduate and graduate courses including Crisis Communication and Empirical Approaches to Communication Research. His NSF-funded work demonstrates successful grant acquisition, while his leadership of the SoliU research group shows commitment to mentoring students across disciplines. Dr. Chon previously served as co-advisor for PRSSA and maintains strong connections with professional organizations.

Dr. Chon directs the SoliU research group (www.soliu.org), a multidisciplinary team addressing social problems through social and computer science integration. This initiative reflects his applied research approach and commitment to solving real-world challenges in crisis communication, health issues, and social justice. The group's work demonstrates his dedication to translating theoretical frameworks into practical solutions with student collaboration.