Christiana Varda

Dr. Christiana Varda is a Lecturer and Course Leader of the BSc (Hons) Media Production at UCLan Cyprus. She holds a PhD in Communication and Internet Studies (ongoing), an MA in Interactive Multimedia, and dual BAs in Journalism and English from Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on emotions, epistemic cognition, and informal learning in digital environments, particularly addressing misinformation and media literacy. She has presented at international conferences like ICLS and EARLI, and her work has been recognized with the ICLS Best Student Paper nomination. Varda also leads research projects on combating misinformation and has secured grants from the European Commission and the US Department of State. She is actively involved in media literacy initiatives, workshops, and academic societies such as ISLS and EARLI.

**Education:**

• PhD Communication and Internet Studies (Cyprus University of Technology, 2019–present)
• MA Interactive Multimedia (Cyprus University of Technology, 2016)
• BA Journalism and English (Pennsylvania State University, 2005)

**Research Interests:** Christiana explores how emotions and cognitive processes shape online information evaluation, aiming to design learning environments that foster critical citizenship. Her work intersects media literacy, digital journalism, and science communication.

**Grants and Awards:**

• Lead researcher on the EU-funded VERITY project (2022–2025)
• Recipient of the Cyprus State Scholarship (2020–present)
• ICLS Best Student Paper Nominee (2022)

**Teaching and Administration:** As Course Leader, she oversees modules like Introduction to Media Literacy and Video Post-Production. She also serves on the ERASMUS committee and has organized workshops on data journalism and media literacy.

**Outreach:** Varda founded the NGO Media What and co-organizes events like the Digital Journalism Against Misinformation series. She has delivered invited talks at TEDx Larnaca and international conferences, advocating for critical media engagement.