Katy E. Pearce

Katy E. Pearce is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington's College of Arts & Sciences. She specializes in the social and political implications of technology in non-democratic contexts, particularly focusing on former Soviet Union states. Her research explores digital divides, social media affordances for resistance, and online impression management in authoritarian regimes.

• Ph.D. in Communication, University of California, Santa Barbara (2011)
• M.A. in International Studies, University of London School for Oriental and African Studies (2006)
• B.A. in Armenian, Arabic, Persian, Turkish & Islamic Studies; American Culture, University of Michigan (2001)

Her work examines how digital technologies shape:

• Information control in semi-authoritarian states
• Gender and cultural norms in online spaces
• Misinformation dynamics across platforms
• ICT's role in opposition movements
• Face negotiation in digital honor cultures

Recent publications demonstrate increasing focus on:

• Digital health communities in Azerbaijan
• Misinformation correction strategies
• Cross-platform affordance analysis
• State-sponsored online harassment
• ICT4D in post-Soviet contexts

Contact: Office CMU 340-E, kepearce@uw.edu.