Hyunjin Seo is an associate professor of strategic communication in the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas. She is also a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. In 2013 she was named a Docking Faculty Scholar, an award given by the University of Kansas to a faculty member who has "distinguished themselves early through exceptional research and teaching." In January 2014, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication named her an Emerging Scholar in recognition of her research on social media and social change.
Seo's research interests lie at the intersection of digital media, civic engagement and international communication. She has conducted research on how social collaborative networks, facilitated by digital communication technologies, help mobilize movements or address social problems at local, national or international levels. Her recent projects include an empirical study of teens' use of social media and collective action funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. Her research has received top paper awards at leading international conferences and has been published in top-tier journals such as Journal of Communication and New Media & Society. Seo received her Ph.D. in mass communications from Syracuse University in 2010 where her dissertation was awarded the all-university Doctoral Prize.
Seo teaches courses on social media, research methods and strategic campaigns. Her "excellence and innovation in teaching" earned her a Promising Professor Award from AEJMC's Mass Communication and Society Division in 2013. Critical and analytical thinking and independent learning are at the core of her teaching, as she believes these are important tools students will require in whatever profession they pursue in an increasingly complex world. She strives to help students build reasoning abilities and spark their imagination. And her classes combine theoretical and hands-on approaches to issues by enabling students to work with real-world clients. Most of all, she is excited about the idea of potentially helping students realize their dreams.
Seo's research and teaching are influenced by her professional experience in journalism and strategic communication in South Korea and the United States. Prior to her graduate studies in the United States, Seo was a foreign affairs correspondent for South Korean and international media outlets. During that time, she traveled extensively to cover major international events including six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear issues and gatherings of world leaders such as the United Nations and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit talks. She has also consulted to U.S. and Korea-based nongovernmental organizations regarding their social media strategies and relations with international press.
Thorson, S. & Seo, H. (in press). U.S. and North Korea: A Gordian conflict. In . (Ed.), Transforming Intractable Conflicts. Rowman & Littlefield.
Seo, H. (in press). Media in North Korea. The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Mass Media and Society.
Seo, H. (in press). Visual propaganda and social media. In . (Ed.), SAGE International Handbook of Propaganda. SAGE.
Seo, H. Erba, J. Altschwager, D. & Geana, M. (in press). Evidence-based digital literacy class for low-income African-American older adults. Journal of Applied Communication Research.
Seo, H. (in press). Press freedom in South Korea. In . (Ed.), Press Freedom in Asia. Routledge.
Ebrahim, H. & Seo, H. (in press). Visual public relations in Middle Eastern higher education: Content analysis of Twitter images. Media Watch.
Seo, H. (2018). Social change in networked information age. In . (Ed.), Media Scholarship in a Transitional Age (pp. 11-24). Peter Lang.
Seo, H. (2018). Internet connectivity. The SAGE encyclopedia of the Internet, 473-475.
Seo, H. & Thorson, S. (2017). Network approach to regime type and global Internet connectedness. Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 20(3), 141-155.
Seo, H. (2017). Press Freedom Annual Report - South Korea & North Korea.
Seo, H. & Thorson, S. (2016). Empathy in public diplomacy: Strategic academic engagement with North Korea. In J. Pamment (Ed.), Intersections between public diplomacy & international development: Case studies in converging fields.
Seo, H. (2014). Visual propaganda in the age of social media: Twitter images during 2012 Israeli-Hamas conflict. Visual Communication Quarterly, 21(3), 150-161.
Seo, H. (2013). The ‘virtual last three feet’: Understanding relationship perspectives in network-based public diplomacy. In R. Zaharna, A. Arsenault, & A. Fisher (Eds.), Relational, Networked, and Collaborative Approaches to Public Diplomacy: The Connective Mindshift (pp. 157-169). New York: Routledge.
Thorson, S. & Seo, H. (2013). From adversaries to partners: Academic science engagement with North Korea. Global Asia, 8(2), 43-47.
Houston, B. Seo, H. Kennedy, E. & Knight, A. T. (2013). Urban youth’s perspectives on flash mobs. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 41(3), 236-252.
Seo, H. (2013). Online social relations and country reputation. International Journal of Communication, 7, 1-20.
Seo, H. & Kinsey, D. F. (2013). Three Korean perspectives on U.S. internet public diplomacy. Public Relations Review, 39(5), 594-596.
Shoemaker, P. Cohen, A. Seo, H. & Wang, X. (2012). Foreign and international news. In F. Esser & T. Hanitzsch (Eds.), Handbook of comparative communication (pp. 341-351). ICA/Routledge.
Seo, H. & Kinsey, D. (2012). Meaning of democracy around the world: A thematic and structural analysis of videos defining democracy. Visual Communication Quarterly, 19(2), 94-107.
Seo, H. & Thorson, S. (2012). Networks of networks: Changing patterns in country bandwidth and centrality in global information infrastructure, 2002-2010. Journal of Communication, 62(2), 345-358.
Seo, H. (2011). Media and foreign policy: A comparative study of journalists' perceptions of press-government relations. Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism, 12(4), 467-482.
Seo, H. & Thorson, S. (2010). Evaluating social networks in public diplomacy. In C. G. Reddick (Ed.), Politics, Democracy and E-government: Participation and Service Delivery (pp. 243-259). IGI Global Publishing.
Shoemaker, P. Johnson, P. Seo, H. & Wang, X. (2010). Popular online news in Russia, China, and the United States. In E. Vartanova (Ed.), Content, channels and audiences in the new millennium: Interaction and interrelations (pp. 73-103). Moscow: Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Shoemaker, P. Johnson, P. Seo, H. & Wang, X. (2010). Readers as gatekeepers of online news: Brazil, China, and the United States. Brazilian Journalism Research, 6(1), 55-77.
Seo, H. & Lim, J. (2010). Source credibility and use during the six-party talks. Asian Journal of Communication, 20(4), 440-455.
Seo, H. & Thorson, S. (2009). Academic science engagement with North Korea. The Korea Economic Institute (KEI) Academic Paper Series on Korea, 4(4), 1-10.
Lim, J. & Seo, H. (2009). Frame flow between government and the news media and its effects on the public: Framing of North Korea. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 21(2), 204-223.
Seo, H. Kim, J. & Yang, S. (2009). Global activism and new media: A study of transnational NGOs' online public relations. Public Relations Review, 35(2), 123-126.
Seo, H. (2009). International media coverage of North Korea: Study of journalists and news reports on the six-party nuclear talks. Asian Journal of Communication, 19(1), 1-17.
Seo, H. Vu, H. T., Aromona, S. Liu, Y. Shayesteh, F. & . (08/31/2018). Hashtag feminism around the world: A comparative analysis of #MeToo tweets. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Washington, D.C.
Vu, H. T., Hung, D. T., Seo, H. Liu, Y. & . (08/31/2018). Who leads the conversation on climate change?: A study of the global network of NGOs on Twitter. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Washington, D.C.
Seo, H. & . (08/01/2013 - 08/31/2013). Visual propaganda in the age of social media: Twitter images during 2012 Israeli-Hamas conflict. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Washington, D.C.
Seo, H. Houston, J. Knight, L. T., Kennedy, E. J., Inglish, A. B. & . (08/31/2012). Why kids become mobs? An empirical analysis of youth flash mobs and social media. Paper presented to the Mass Communication & Society Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Seo, H. . (03/31/2011). Global Engagement for the 21st Century: American Public Diplomacy. Panelist, Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars, Syracuse University.
Shoemaker, P. Johnson, P. Seo, H. & Wang, X. . (10/31/2010). The popularity of online news: Gatekeeping by readers in four countries. Paper presented at Convergence and Society: Science, Health, and New Dimensions of Communication, University of South Carolina.
Seo, Hyunjin, International Travel Fund, $1,000, Submitted 05/01/2017 . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Seo, Hyunjin, (Principal), Choi, Baek-Young, (Co-Principal), Song, Sejun, (Co-Investigator), Ramaswamy, Megha , Britton, Hannah, , Technology Education for Women in Transition: Broadening Participation through Innovations, National Science Foundation, Submitted 11/01/2017 . Federal. Status: Proposal Submitted.
Seo, Hyunjin, (Principal), Social Media and Social Change: A Multilevel Approach, Waterhouse Family Institute, $9,000, (08/01/2017 . Not-for-Profit (not Foundation). Status: Funded.
Vu, Hong, (Principal), Seo, Hyunjin, (Co-Investigator), Britton, Hannah, (Co-Investigator), Chikanda, Abel , (Co-Investigator), $5,000, (05/01/2017 .
Li, Fengjun, (Principal), Seo, Hyunjin, (Co-Principal), , Establishing Social-Computational Collaboration Toward Credible Social Media, 2995000-958-INS0073037, KU Research Investment Council (Strategic Initiative Grant Level I), $206,305, Submitted 01/01/2014 (01/01/2014 . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Fine, Pam, (Principal), Williams, Mike, (Co-Principal), Seo, Hyunjin, (Consultant), , Datasmart Lawrence, Online News Association, $33,528, (01/01/2017 - 12/31/2018) . Foundation. Status: Funded.
Seo, Hyunjin, International Travel Fund, $1,000, (01/01/2017 - 12/31/2017) . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Seo, Hyunjin, (Principal), Toward a Theoretical Model of Visual Propaganda in the Social Media Age, NFP0071961, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, $2,500, (01/01/2014 - 12/31/2016) . Not-for-Profit (not Foundation). Status: Funded.
Seo, Hyunjin, (Principal), Service Learning Mini Grant Award, KU Center for Civic & Social Responsibility, $500, Submitted 12/01/2014 (01/01/2015 - 05/31/2015) . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Thorson, Stuart J, (Co-Principal), Carriere, Frederick , (Co-Principal), Seo, Hyunjin, (Co-Principal), , U.S.-DPRK Academic Science Engagement, Pacific Century Institute, $20,000, Submitted 01/01/2014 (01/01/2014 - 12/31/2014) . Not-for-Profit (not Foundation). Status: Funded.
Thorson, Stuart J, (Co-Principal), Carriere, Frederick , (Co-Principal), Seo, Hyunjin, (Co-Principal), , U.S.-DPRK Academic Science Engagement, The Henry Luce Foundation, $25,000, Submitted 01/01/2014 (01/01/2014 - 12/31/2014) . Foundation. Status: Funded.
Seo, Hyunjin, (Principal), KU Entrepreneurship Programs, $1,500, (09/01/2013 - 05/31/2014) . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Seo, Hyunjin, (Principal), International Travel Fund, $1,000, Submitted 01/01/2013 (01/01/2013 - 12/31/2013) . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Seo, Hyunjin, (Principal), Persistent inequalities and heavy tails in international Internet connections: 2002-2011, KU International Programs, $1,000, - 12/31/2013) . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Seo, Hyunjin, (Principal), How to Teach Social Media, KU Center for Teaching Excellence, $1,000, Submitted 01/01/2012 (01/01/2012 - 12/31/2013) . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Seo, Hyunjin, (Principal), Measuring Science Reputation and Non-Market Benefits of S&T Investments, $7,680, Submitted 01/01/2012 (01/01/2012 - 12/31/2013) . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Seo, Hyunjin, (Principal), Country Reputation Measure for a Globally Networked Society, KU International Programs, $850, Submitted 01/01/2012 (01/01/2012 - 12/31/2012) . University (KU or KUMC). Status: Funded.
Knight, Leign Anne T., (Co-Principal), Seo, Hyunjin, (Co-Principal), Houston, Brian, (Co-Principal), , Kansas City Teen Project, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, $150,000, (01/01/2011 - 12/31/2012) . Foundation. Status: Funded.
Knight, Leigh Anne Taylor, (Co-Principal), Seo, Hyunjin, (Co-Principal), Houston, Brian, (Co-Principal), , Kansas City Teen Project, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, $50,000, (01/01/2011 - 12/31/2012) . Foundation. Status: Funded.
Seo, Hyunjin, (Principal), LarryvilleKU: Web and Mobile Application of OpenBlock to The Kansan, Knight Foundation; Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, $8,000, (01/01/2011 - 12/31/2012) . Foundation. Status: Funded.