Originally from China, Jiaxu (Elmer) Ye ‘26 (communication technology) came to Ohio State to study communication technology. Ye currently works in two of the School of Communication’s research labs, applying classroom theory to real issues of how people interact with media and technology.
This hands-on exploration is the core of the Communication Technology major, one of four majors within the School of Communication. This major focuses on understanding how technology is transforming communication practices through evaluating user experience and social implications of new technology. Required courses in this major provide Ye and other Comm Tech students with the tools they need to explore how real people engage with digital tools.
“Classes like COMM 4511: User-Centered Communication and COMM 2511: Visual Communication Design have inspired me a lot and helped me to be clear in my future career goals,” Ye said.
This clarity led him to seek out opportunities beyond the classroom. After taking COMM 3513: Video Games and Society with Assistant Professor Teresa Lynch, he sent her an email asking how he could become more involved. She invited him for an interview about upcoming research, and shortly after, Ye joined the Chronos Laboratory.
Founded in 2017 and directed by Lynch, the Chronos Lab functions as an active communication research group at Ohio State. The research conducted at the lab places an emphasis on interactions between people and media content.
As a research assistant, Ye studies media psychology topics including how gender differences affect behavior in a gaming environment through the study of decision-making patterns in video games. “It has given me a great opportunity to see how research is conducted at OSU and how my professors work,” he noted.
Ye also works in a second lab, VECTOR (Virtual Environment Communication Technology, and Online Research), led by Professor Jesse Fox. Fox’s research centers around examining the effects of technologies including virtual reality, podcasts, social media, video games, algorithms and robots. Working alongside Fox to put theory to practice has reinforced Ye’s understanding of user experience research.
Looking ahead, Ye plans to continue his academic pursuits through graduate school, where he hopes to delve deeper into media psychology and human-computer interaction. He credits much of his growth to the mentorship and support he has received from Fox and Lynch, who have assisted him through the application process and provided guidance on finding programs that are a good fit.
For Ye, the labs he works in represent exactly what he came to Ohio State hoping to find. “I just wanted to do as much as I could to help the professors conduct their research,” he said. “This was a great chance to apply what I learned about communication theory from my undergraduate courses.”
Article by student Audrey Radick