Zongchao Cathy Li

Zongchao Cathy Li is an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at San José State University, part of the College of Humanities and the Arts. She specializes in public relations, with a strong focus on social media analytics, data-driven research methods, and strategic communication. Her work explores how digital platforms reshape interactions between organizations and users, emphasizing emotional and psychological influences on consumer behavior.

Her research interests include:

• Emotion contagion and public engagement on social media
• Consumer responses to nonprofit and corporate messaging
• Service failure and relationship dynamics in digital contexts
• Risk and crisis communication, especially in public health and environmental issues
• Psychological empowerment and online behavior

Dr. Li’s recent publications reveal a consistent trend in analyzing behavioral data from major platforms like Facebook and Twitter, particularly among Fortune 500 and nonprofit organizations. Her work combines quantitative methods with psychological insights to understand stakeholder engagement, message effectiveness, and emotional triggers in digital communication.

Scientific awards and honors:

• No awards mentioned in the provided text.

Dr. Li is actively involved in teaching and mentoring, offering undergraduate and graduate courses in research methodology, social media analytics, and public relations evaluation. While specific grant funding is not detailed, her extensive publication record in top-tier journals suggests active research engagement and likely external support. She contributes to the academic field through peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on new media and public relations measurement.

She maintains an active research agenda centered on digital communication, with ongoing exploration into crisis communication post-pandemic and the role of emotion in user engagement. Her work bridges academic research and practical application in public relations and organizational communication.