John Christensen

Associate Professor

Department of Communication

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Education

• Ph.D., University of Southern California, 2011
• M.A., University of Southern California, 2007
• B.A., University of Southern California, 2003

About

As an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut, I leverage my background in social psychology and communication science to research the evolving intersection between humans and artificial intelligence. With a PhD from the University of Southern California and postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, I bring a multidisciplinary approach to understanding complex human-AI social dynamics, focusing on phenomena like algorithm aversion, identity threat, and AI anxiety. I am an affiliate of UConn’s Cognitive Science Program and the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy.

My research has been supported by organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and Cigna. I’m driven by a commitment to applying data-informed insights to real-world challenges and have refined my expertise through internships at institutions like the National Cancer Institute, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Institute for Creative Technologies, and the RAND Corporation.

Beyond academia, I am involved in several start-ups focused on education and technology. I also co-founded Yellowbrick, a boutique consulting firm dedicated to transforming workplace culture through data analytics. Our customized data-gathering solutions enable organizations to unlock critical insights into talent development, employee engagement, retention, wellness, and belonging.

Courses Taught

• Graduate Courses:
  • COMM 5001: Introduction to Graduate Communication Research
• Undergraduate Courses:
  • COMM 2300: Effects of Mass Media
  • COMM 3420: Health Communication
  • COMM 3600: New Communication Technology
  • COMM 3610: Computer Mediated Communication

Links

Curriculum Vitae

Google Scholar