Dear colleagues and students,
I have the great pleasure to welcome Dr. Yachao (Bruce) Li, an award-winning teacher-scholar with expertise in interpersonal communication, health communication, communication theory, and research methods, to join us as a new Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies and the Department of Public Health at The College of New Jersey. Dr. Li’s research focuses on the intersection of message production and health disparities, especially among minorities. His latest publication in Journal of Applied Communication Research introduced his Theory of Coming Out Message Production, which explains how individuals reveal their minority sexual orientation to others. Dr. Li has won the 2019 Communication Studies Outstanding Article (Top 1) by the Central State Communication Association for his article titled “African American women’s language use in response to male partners’ condom negotiation tactics.” I am confident his work will complement the current scholarship of our very strong department.
Dr. Li has taught classes in areas such as interpersonal communication, health communication, organizational/small group communication, public health campaigns, and research methods. He is eager to develop new courses in topics such as health promotion, stigma and disclosure, and sexual communication. Dr. Li has developed and presented teaching workshops to share his pedagogical strategies both on campus and at teaching symposiums, and has received several awards in recognition of his teaching, mentoring, and pedagogical development. He has also designed and facilitated programs on campus and in the local community, such as Safe Space Training, sexual health education, and substance abuse prevention workshops.
Prior to TCNJ, Dr. Li held the Postdoctoral Research Associate position at Georgia State University and the Instructor of Record position at University of Georgia. He received his Ph.D. from University of Georgia in 2018, M.A. from Rutgers University in 2015, and B.A. from Communication University of China in 2013.
Dr. Li has demonstrated that the social sciences are essential to identify and develop strategies to address and reduce health inequities. As he relocates to our department, I look forward to the dynamic ideas and contributions that Dr. Li will bring to the TCNJ community, and hope that all of you will join me to welcome Dr. Li to our department and the College.
With warm regards,
Yifeng Hu, PhD
Chair and Associate Professor
Department of The Communication Studies
School of Arts and Communication
The College of New Jersey