Zoë Natalia Cullen | PhD Student

about me.

I'm a fourth-year PhD candidate at the University of Michigan in the School of Information, studying social media, human-ai interaction, & AI-mediated communication.

My research focuses on understanding how social media platforms and AI-mediated communication (AI-MC) tools such as large language models reshape interpersonal communication, influence social interactions, and impact self-perception in digital environments.

I'm advised by Dr. Nicole Ellison & Dr. Irene Pasquetto.

Research Interests

Social Media Platforms

how users engage with social media platforms, including their motivations, patterns of use, and the impact of platform features on user behavior and self-perception.

AI-MC

how generative AI communication tools shape interpersonal communication processes and influence meaning-making in computer-mediated interactions.

Research affiliations

Social Media Research Lab | University of Michigan
Science, Technology, & Society Program | University of Michigan
Social Media Lab | Stanford University

BIG AL

Before coming to the University of Michigan, I worked as a marketing director and SEO specialist for a cyber security company. During undergrad, I worked as a research assistant under Dr. Joshua Braun studying media manipulation of digital intermediaries.

I live in Ann Arbor with my dog Big Al.