Faculty Profile

Associate Professor
fe2816@wayne.edu

Honorific

Dr.

Biography

Stephanie Tong is an Associate Professor in the communication studies area and the Director of Graduate Studies (Interim). She currently serving as a member-at-large on the Wayne State Academic Senate. Her research interests lie at the intersection of social media and relational communication. Specifically, she studies how people initiate, maintain, and terminate relationships using popular social media platforms. Her research has appeared in a variety of top journal outlets including, Social Media + Society, Psychology and Health, Personal Relationships, New Media and Society, and Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. She teaches interpersonal communication, communication theory, research methods, and pedagogy at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Tong is the Director of the Social Media and Relational Technologies (SMART) Labs, which investigates how technology affects how people make decisions about their relationships.

Outside of the lab and the classroom, you will find her in the great outdoors. Her free time is spent rock climbing, running, and hanging out with her husband, son, and rescue dog--a “Chug” (Chihuahua-pug mix) named Panzo.

If you're interested in learning more about Dr. Tong's research or want to join the lab, please visit the SMART Labs homepage. We are always looking for new talent--contact her to discuss open research assistantships and volunteer positions.