Yvonnes Chen, PhD
School of Journalism and Mass Communications - JournalismRoom 205C
Yvonnes Chen is an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas. She is a 2017-2018 Keeler Intra-University Professorship recipient and one of the 17 competitively awarded Visiting Professor Program fellows from the Advertising Educational Foundation in New York.
Her research — which has received funding from government agencies — centers on designing effective programs to promote healthy lifestyles. Her most recent research focuses on how the brain is a window to understanding the effects of persuasive messages. Read it on KU News here: http://bit.ly/2pk74d3.
Chen teaches courses on research methods, strategic campaigns, health communication, grant writing, and data analysis. At the core of her teaching is a desire to nurture students’ personal growth and problem-solving ability. One of her greatest joys is to see students succeed – at the personal and professional level. Her students have received university awards (e.g., KU University Awards), competitive fellowships (e.g., FleishmanHillard Diversity Fellow) and regional/national awards (e.g., Bronze Quill and Silver Quill Awards from the International Association of Business Communicators).
Fluent in three languages (with another on the way), Chen is a classical music and opera enthusiast — and a wannabe rock climber.
Education
Ph.D., Public Relations, Strategic Communication and Health Communication, Washington State University, Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
M.A., Public Relations, Strategic Communication and Health Communication, Washington State University, Edward R. Murrow School of Communication
B.A., Journalism, Shih Hsin University
Teaching Interests
- Research methods
- Strategic campaigns
- Health Communication
- Social Marketing
Research Interests
- Media and health literacy
- Adolescents
- Prevention and intervention
Selected Publications
Chen, Y., Porter, K., Zoellner, J., & Estabrooks, P. (in press). Development and evaluation of the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Media Literacy (SSB-ML) scale, and its relationship with health literacy and SSB consumption
. Health Communication .
Porter, K., Chen, Y., Lang, H., & Zoellner, J. (in press). Implementation of Media Production Activities in an Intervention to Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake among Adults: A Content Analysis of Counter Ads. Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior .
Zoellner, J., Chen, Y., Porter, K., Hedrick, V., You, W., Tyhurst, M., & Estabrooks, P. (in press). Predicting Sugar-Sweetened Behaviors with Theory of Planned Behavior Constructs: Outcome and Process Results from the SipSmartER Behavioral Intervention.
Erba, J., Chen, Y., & Kang, H. (in press). Using media literacy to counter stereotypical images of Blacks and Latinos. Howard Journal of Communication.
Chen, Y., Fowler, C. G, Papa, V. B, Lepping, R. J, Brucks, M. G, Fox, A. T, & Martin, L. E (n.d.). Adolescents' behavioral and neural responses to e-cigarette advertising . Addiction Biology.
Zoellner, J., Hedrick, V., You, W., Chen, Y., Devy, B., Porter, K., Bailey, A., Lang, H., Alexander, R., & Estabrooks, P. (n.d.). Effects of a behavioral and health literacy intervention to reduce sugar-sweetened beverages: a randomized-controlled trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.
Chen, Y., & Erba, J. (n.d.). Media Literacy as a Consideration in Health and Risk Message Design. Oxford University .
Chen, Y. (2016). Opportunities for Implementing Media Literacy Education as an Obesity Prevention Strategy in China. In C. Cheung (Ed.), Media Literacy Education in China (pp. 91-104). Springer Singapore. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-0045-4
Porter, K., Chen, Y., Estabrooks, P., Noel, L., Bailey, A., & Zoellner, J. (2016). Using Teach-Back to Understand Participant Behavioral Self-Monitoring Skills across Health Literacy Level and Behavioral Condition. Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior , 48(1), 20–26.e1. DOI://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2015.08.012
Chen, Y., Ohanehi, D., & Redican, K. (2015). Pilot Evaluation of UV Monitoring Enhanced Skin Cancer Prevention Among Farm Youth in Rural Virginia. American Journal of Health Education, 46(2), 79-89.
Austin, E. W., Pinkleton, B. E., Chen, Y., & Austin, B. (2015). Processing of Sexual Media Messages Improves Due to Media Literacy Effects on Perceived Message Desirability. Mass Communication & Society , 18(4), 399-421.
Selected Presentations
Chen, Y., Porter, K., Zoellner, J., Estabrooks, P. & . (01/01/2015 - 12/31/2015). Examining the impact of a health literacy and media literacy intervention on adults’ sugar-sweetened beverage media literacy skills. Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk Division, AEJMC. San Francesco, CA
Bailey, A., Porter, K., Chen, Y., Dohm, E., Wilburn, G., Tyhurst, M., Estabrooks, P., Zoellner, J. & . (04/22/2015 - 04/25/2015). Perceptions of interactive voice response calls targeting health behavior change in rural adults. Society of Behavioral Medicine Conference. San Antonio, TX
Chen, Y., Ohanehi, D., Redican, K., Grisso, R., Perumpral, J., Feldman, S., Swafford, D., Burton, J. & . (08/06/2014 - 08/09/2014). Pilot Evaluation of a UV Monitoring-Enhanced Skin Cancer Prevention Among Farm Youth in Rural Virginia. Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk Division, AEJMC. Montreal, Canada
Lee, T., Chen, Y. & . (08/06/2014 - 08/09/2014). Racial Attitudes, Egalitarian Values, and Media Use . Minorities and Communication Division, AEJMC. Montreal, Canada
Selected Grants
Martin, Laura, (Principal), Chen, Yvonnes, (Co-Principal), Catley, Delwyn, (Co-Principal), , Changing adolescents' brain responses to e-cigarette marketing with media literacy intervention, Submitted 03/22/2017 . http://chlnkc.org/announcements/. Other. Status: Proposal Submitted.
Chen, Yvonnes, (Principal), , Keeler Intra-University Professorship, $12,000, Submitted 02/10/2017 (01/01/2018 - 05/31/2018) . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Chen, Yvonnes, (Principal), , Advertising Education Foundation: Visiting Professor Programs, (06/08/2017 - 06/16/2017) . Other. Status: Funded.
Chen, Yvonnes, , Designing modules to facilitate team-based communication activities in strategic campaigns, Center for Teaching Excellence Best Practice Institute Grant , $1,000, (07/01/2016 - 05/31/2017) . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Zoellner, J., (Principal), Chen, Y. , (Co-Principal), Estabrooks, P., Davy, B., You, W., SIPsmartER: A nutrition literacy approach to reducing sugar-sweetened Beverages, R01 CA 154364-01A1, National Institute of Health/Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, $2,947,383, (07/13/2011 - 06/12/2016) . Federal. Status: Funded.
Chen, Yi-Chun, (Principal), Using in-person observations and Google Street View to conduct in-store audits of tobacco marketing and warning messages in areas with a high concentration of American Indian populations in Kansas, University of Kansas, $8,000, Submitted 04/15/2014 - 12/31/2014) . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Kaestle, , (Principal), Chen, Y. , (Co-Principal), Media Literacy Tobacco Prevention for Youth in Virginia: A Randomized Impact Assessment Pilot Study, Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation (VTSF) & Virginia Youth Tobacco Projects, $34,682, (06/01/2010 - 05/31/2011) . For Profit (company/corporation). Status: Funded.
