Jiangning LIAN (Katya)

Email jnlian@bu.edu

I’m a Media Specialist with a Master of Arts in Emerging Media Studies from Boston University, boasting a profound foundation in digital media, public relations, and advertising, augmented by an extensive array of professional experiences across the United States and China.

Scholarly, my endeavors are anchored in research within media studies, delving into digital discourse, where I utilize sophisticated data analysis techniques to orchestrate strategic communications and bolster public engagement. My passion is prominently directed towards harnessing media and technology to cultivate effective communication, elevate public understanding, and propel positive societal transformations.

Professional Experience

Aloega | Boston, MA, United States | June 2024 – Present

Marketing Intern

  • Managed multiple social media accounts, increasing followers and engagement rates through targeted content strategies.

  • Collaborated with the marketing team to develop and implement various campaigns, enhancing brand awareness and engagement.

  • Engaged in strategic planning sessions to outline and execute key marketing initiatives, contributing to the overall goals of the organization.

  • Conducted market research to gather insights and trends that informed campaign strategies, ensuring data-driven decision-making.

  • Created diverse marketing content, including blog posts, social media content, and promotional materials, that aligned with brand messaging and audience interests.

NAUSICA NYC | New York, NY, United States | Sep. 2023 – Dec. 2023

UX/UI Designer

  • Collaborated with the head designer of NAUSICA NYC, Angel Pan, to define core objectives for the website, guiding strategic enhancements based on initial interviews.

  • Conducted in-depth user interviews to refine website objectives and updated user personas with new insights.

  • Led a comprehensive redesign of the website using WordPress, enhancing aesthetic appeal and usability.

  • Performed two rounds of usability testing, incorporating user feedback to optimize site functionality and user experience.

MSLGROUP China | Shanghai, China | June 2022 – Sep. 2022

Public Relations Intern

  • Composed media copies, publicity planning, and press releases for the UGG and OLAY groups.

  • Provided PR support for onsite campaigns; assisted in communicating with media personnel and KOLs.

  • Planned and executed the PR parts of UGG’s and OLAY’s brand cooperation projects.

  • Responsible for competitors’ analysis; tracked highlight campaigns from other companies and compared the performance of campaigns that had similar themes.

  • Maintained an active relationship for UGG and OLAY with different media platforms.

  • Briefed the monthly PR trends.

Saatchi & Saatchi Greater China | Shanghai, China | June 2021 – Sep. 2021

Account Executive Intern

  • Drafted the monthly report for Siemens & Bosch on corporate media images and social responsibility embodiment.

  • Assessed the quality of communication within the Siemens & Bosch group.

  • Conceived possible methods to improve communication efficiency within the Siemens & Bosch groups.

  • Managed Siemens & Bosch’s news/videos release to maintain the customer-recognized corporate image and emphasized parts that could possibly attract new audiences.

Education

Boston University | Boston, MA, United States | Sep. 2023 – Dec 2024

Master of Arts in Emerging Media Studies (STEM Eligible) | GPA: 4.0/4.0

- Merit Scholarship

- Best Poster Award in 2024 #ScreentimeBU

Course: User-Producers 2.0: Developing Interactivity; Business Continuity Management; The Psychology of Emerging Media; Trending Insights-Social Data Analysis and Visualization; Connecting Humans: Networks, History and Social Media

BNU-HKBU UIC |  Zhuhai, China |  Sep. 2019 – June 2023

Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honors Degree) in Public Relations and Advertising | GPA: 3.71/4.0

- 2022-2023 Second Class Scholarship of UIC 12/2023

- 2021-2022 Second Class Scholarship of UIC 12/2022

- 2020-2021 First Class Scholarship of UIC 12/2021

- The Eighth China University Students PR Plan Contest - Honorable Award 09/2021

- 2019-2021 First Class Scholarship of UIC 03/2021

Course: Intergrated Marketing Communication; Digital Media; Advertising Copywriting; Media & Event Planning; Communication Research; Human-Computer Interaction

Yale University (Remote) | New Haven, CT, United States | July 2022 – Aug. 2022

Course: The Philosophy and Cognitive Science of Consciousness

Assistantship

BNU-HKBU United International College | Zhuhai, China | Dec. 2022 – Apr. 2023

Teaching Assistant with Prof. Siuhan CHEN

  • Conducted research to identify contemporary sources aligning with "Datafication and Algorithms" and "Digital Power and Exploitation" chapters from the “Digital Media and Society” textbook.

  • Assisted in elucidating the role of 'software studies' within the realm of digital society.

  • Analyzed intricate digital elements (links, likes, search engine results) for sociological understanding.

  • Participated in evaluating the influence of 'digital labor' theories on reshaping perceptions of social media's purpose.

  • Created succinct and accessible PowerPoints tailored to the comprehension level of freshmen and sophomores by translating intricate concepts from the textbook into engaging visuals. tailored to the comprehension level of freshmen and sophomores

Academic Projects & Achievements

Exploring Donor Intentions and Digital Fundraising Strategies for NGOs | Jan. 2024 – June 2024

  • Integrated the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Elaborate Likelihood Model, providing a theoretical foundation for understanding donors' motivation for fundraising.

  • Designed and implemented a comprehensive survey study, collecting data from 36 valid responses using the Qualtrics platform to understand the factors influencing donor intentions.

  • Utilized statistical software such as SPSS and AMOS to analyze survey data, performing structural equation modeling, linear regression analyses, Hayes model 4 and Hayes model 1 to understand the relationships between various factors influencing donation intentions.

  • Developed recommendations for NGOs to craft persuasive e-newsletter messages and address practical barriers to donation, such as providing convenient donation methods and clarifying procedures.

  • Enhanced the visibility of emotional abuse issues through targeted e-newsletter content, promoting broader mental health awareness.

HPV Vaccine Discourse Analysis on Twitter/X | Jan. 2024 – May 2024

  • Investigated HPV vaccination coverage on Twitter/X, focusing on how the discourse aligns with the Health Belief Model (HBM) components—susceptibility, severity, efficacy, benefits, and barriers.

  • Used ChatGPT API, R’s tm package, and supervised machine learning models (SVMs) to extract 10,000 tweets and categorize the data according to the HBM components.

  • Contributed to academic knowledge by identifying critical gaps in public understanding of HPV vaccine efficacy and influencing potential public health campaigns and educational initiatives.

  • The study's findings were used to recommend targeted communication strategies to health authorities to address and reduce barriers to HPV vaccination.

Enhancing Self-Treatment Intentions: Sport-Related Serious Games for BDD |  Jan. 2024 – May 2024

  • Investigated the application of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) within sport-related serious games to improve self-treatment behaviors in individuals with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

  • Employed a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the effectiveness of serious games in modifying self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and self-regulation, according to the principles outlined in SCT.

  • Enhanced academic understanding by identifying the therapeutic potential of integrating interactive and engaging game elements with established psychological therapies, contributing to new approaches in mental health treatment.

  • Underscored the role of serious games in mental health interventions, advocating for their use based on evidence of improved psychological outcomes and increased engagement in self-treatment activities.

Gameplay to Mindplay: Examining Task Difficulty and AI Influence on Player Psychology | Jan. 2024 – May 2024

  • Developed a research proposal exploring the influence of task difficulty and AI anthropomorphism on psychological outcomes in video gaming.

  • Proposed methodologies for evaluating player responses using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in a controlled-randomized factorial design setting.

  • Outlined strategies for implementing structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess correlations between game design variables and psychological impacts on players.

  • Developed a comprehensive literature review to establish a theoretical framework linking interactive game features with player autonomy and empathy.

  • Designed an experimental framework using "Detroit: Become Human" to simulate variations in task difficulty and AI characteristics for future empirical testing.

Emotional Contagion on Social Media: Analyzing the Impact of News Exposure on Users’ Posting Behavior and Well-Being | Sep. 2023 – Dec. 2023

  • Developed a research proposal to explore emotional contagion on social media, focusing on the impact of news consumption on user behavior and psychological health.

  • Designed methodology using SentiStrength for sentiment analysis to categorize emotional responses in Twitter/X posts, setting the stage for future data collection and analysis.

  • Proposed a controlled experimental framework to assess the effects of media exposure on emotional well-being across different user susceptibility groups.

  • Drafted comprehensive plans for statistical analysis, including t-tests and ANOVA, to examine behavioral responses and emotional contagion in a future study.

  • Collaborated on project planning and proposal development, focusing on innovative approaches to studying digital media's psychological impacts.

Skills

  • Statistical Analysis: R (Supervised Machine Learning; Unsupervised Machine Learning); SPSS (AMOS; Hayes Model); Gephi; Qualtrics

  • Web Design: WordPress; Brackets; Figma; HTML; CSS

  • Multimedia Editing:

    • Photo Editing: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Canva

    • Video Editing: CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro

    • Audio Editing: Adobe Audition

  • Photography: Sony A6400 with Sigma 18-50mm lens

  • Language:

    • English; Mandarin; Cantonese; Shanghai Dialect; Russian (Level A2)