Dr. Bond Benton is a Professor of Public Relations in the College of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. He holds a master’s degree in communication from Kansas State University and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Vienna in Austria. He has extensively researched online influence along with its relationship to misinformation, hate, and extremism. A particular focus of Dr. Benton’s research is the interaction of social media with the values and decisions of constituencies. Dr. Benton’s essays and research articles have appeared in numerous academic journals and in the popular press. His first book, The Challenge of Working for Americans: Perspectives of an International Workforce, was released in 2014 and draws upon Dr. Benton’s years working in Public Diplomacy for the U.S. State Department. In 2022, research he conducted with the Strategic Communication Center at Montclair on the rise in hate speech on Twitter garnered significant national and international coverage and contributed to the discourse surrounding social media platform ethics. Dr. Benton has appeared on CNN, CBS Evening News, the Tamron Hall Show and has been quoted in dozens of media outlets around the globe.
Dr. Jin-A Choi is the Director of Data Analytics for the Joetta Di Bella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication. She is an Associate Professor of Advertising in the College of Communication and Media at Montclair State University where she teaches data analytics. She received her doctorate from the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Texas at Austin. At the center, Dr. Choi examines various trends and popular cultural phenomenon through the lens of social media data. Using text mining techniques, digital discourse surrounding current events are gathered in real-time and explained through topic clustering, sentiment analysis, etc. Successfully launching the center’s inaugural study on America’s fall favorite, Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL), she has appeared in numerous media outlets such as the Associated Press (redistributed in several national publications), NBC affiliates, The New York Times, etc. and has provided commentary for national publications (Marketwatch, RetailDive), podcasts (Audacy), among others. Dr. Choi and colleagues publish 7 to 10 studies for the center annually.
Dr. Yi Luo is a leading voice in strategic communication research, with a sharp focus on how emerging technologies, digital culture, and media platforms shape public sentiment and reactions. An Associate Professor in the College of Communication and Media at Montclair State University, her scholarship bridges theory and practice. She has conducted extensive research on Gen Z, such as their struggles with mental health, digital activism, and reactions to major socio-political events. Together, these studies reflect Dr. Luo’s commitment to understanding how the cultural, political, and technological forces shape public voices and identity in the digital age. Her work has been featured in prominent media outlets such as NBC, CBS, MSNBC, NEWS12, The New York Times, Associated Press, PR Week, Engadget, NJ News, and among others. She has been quoted in media coverage of major events, from FIFA World Cup to pop culture waves such as the Barbie craze.
