Nicole Ellison

Nicole Ellison is the Karl E Weick Collegiate Professor of Information at the University of Michigan, holding joint appointments in the School of Information and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts as Professor of Communication and Media. She has established herself as a leading scholar in social media research, with particular expertise in computer-mediated communication, social network sites, and the implications of technology for social processes.

• B.A. cum laude in English, Barnard College, Columbia University (1991)
• M.A., Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California (1998)
• Ph.D., Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California (1999)

Professor Ellison's research focuses on how information and communication technologies shape and are shaped by social processes. Her work spans foundational studies of social network sites (including the seminal 2007 paper with danah boyd that defined key characteristics of SNSs) to contemporary investigations of AI's role in social interaction. She has made significant contributions to understanding social capital formation through online interactions, self-presentation in digital environments, and the use of social media for educational access. Her research on college access has been particularly influential, examining how first-generation and low-income students can leverage social media to access informational and social support resources.

Her most recent publications reveal a clear evolution in her research trajectory, moving beyond foundational work on social network sites to explore emerging challenges and opportunities in digital communication. Current work examines AI's role in understanding addictive behaviors, algorithmic personalization on platforms like TikTok, and the nuanced relationship between social media use patterns and wellbeing. A consistent thread throughout her career is the focus on how technology affects social connection, with recent work developing more sophisticated frameworks that move beyond simple active/passive dichotomies to understand user agency and mindset.

• Karl E Weick Collegiate Professorship (prestigious named professorship)
• Honorable Mention at CSCW conference for 'Help is on the Way: Patterns of Responses to Resource Requests on Facebook'
• Significant research funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for college access research
• Development of influential measurement tools including the Facebook Intensity Scale

Professor Ellison has secured substantial grant funding for her research, most notably from the Gates Foundation for her work on social media and college access. She has mentored numerous students and collaborators, including D. Yvette Wohn, Rey Junco, and Christine Greenhow. Her work on the College Connect Facebook app demonstrates her commitment to translating research into practical tools that address educational inequity. She has also been instrumental in developing methodological approaches for studying social media use, advocating for more nuanced measurement beyond simple time-based metrics.

Her research group has been particularly active in studying social media's role in educational contexts, developing the College Connect application to help first-generation college students navigate the transition to higher education. This work sits at the intersection of technology design, educational equity, and social psychology, demonstrating her commitment to research with real-world impact. Her laboratory work often involves mixed-methods approaches, combining survey research with behavioral data to understand the complex relationship between technology use and social outcomes.