My name is Yuzhe (Julian) Lei. I am a Ph.D. student at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, and a research fellow of the Politics, Identity, and Communication Lab (PICL), supervised by Dr. Deen Freelon.
Drawing on analytical frameworks from Cultural Studies, my research addresses the role of identity in global and political communication contexts. I am particularly interested in the cultural identity of the Chinese diaspora, examining how diasporic communities construct, negotiate, and perform their identities in digital spaces, and how they sustain and navigate social, cultural, and political ties to their homelands through digital media.
Methodologically, my work is primarily grounded in qualitative approaches, such as multimodal critical discourse analysis and in-depth interviews. I also bring quantitative and computational training to collaborative, mixed-methods research.
My work has been published in leading communication journals, including The International Journal of Press/Politics and Political Communication. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies, photography, and visiting museums. In 2025, I watched 187 movies in theaters. I’m a big fan of true crime podcasts. I’m also a dog person.
<aside> <img src="attachment:cb2b0180-2382-46e8-977a-798a8ab38575:UniversityofPennsylvania_Shield_RGB-2.png" alt="attachment:cb2b0180-2382-46e8-977a-798a8ab38575:UniversityofPennsylvania_Shield_RGB-2.png" width="40px" /> University of Pennsylvania (2025 - 2030 Expected)
Ph.D. Student in Communication
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<aside> <img src="attachment:8734927e-2772-47a4-877b-a897d0087b02:University_of_Texas_at_Austin_seal.svg.png" alt="attachment:8734927e-2772-47a4-877b-a897d0087b02:University_of_Texas_at_Austin_seal.svg.png" width="40px" /> The University of Texas at Austin (2023 - 2025)
M.A. in Journalism and Media (Research and Theory Track)
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<aside> <img src="attachment:2dee80ec-2be2-4b55-a596-9cb714b11634:Emblem_of_CU.png" alt="attachment:2dee80ec-2be2-4b55-a596-9cb714b11634:Emblem_of_CU.png" width="40px" /> The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2021 - 2022)
M.S.Sc. in Advertising
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<aside> <img src="attachment:81fc29ca-c429-4dee-873d-9bb6138b25c0:Renmin_University_of_China_logo.svg.png" alt="attachment:81fc29ca-c429-4dee-873d-9bb6138b25c0:Renmin_University_of_China_logo.svg.png" width="40px" /> Renmin University of China (2017 - 2021)
B.Mgmt. in Labor and Social Security (Minor in Journalism)
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