Kaiping Chen
Associate Professor, UW-Madison

Keywords of Research Interest
Science & Technology Communication
Public Deliberation
Computational Social Science
Welcome to my professional space. I am an Associate Professor in Computational Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, working in the Department of Life Sciences Communication. I also maintain active affiliations with several departments and institutes-—including Political Science, the Data Science Institute, the Robert & Jean Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies, and many others—-which enrich my interdisciplinary approach to research and teaching. I serve in leadership roles within professional associations, such as the International Liaison at the Computational Methods Division of the International Communication Association (ICA) and as the Professional Responsibility and Freedom Chair of the Communicating Science, Health, Environment and Risk Division at Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). I was recognized as the Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Early Career Woman Scholar Award by the flagship association (AEJMC) in my discipline and as one of the most influential Asian leaders in Wisconsin.
My research is driven by a fundamental curiosity about how we can empower citizens to engage in thoughtful deliberation on science and political issues, and how effective communication processes can bridge different social groups in policymaking. By harnessing computational and qualitative methods, I explore how digital media influences political accountability and public dialogue across different national contexts—from the United States to China and Ghana. This interdisciplinary work, drawing on theories from communication, political science, and computer science, unpacks both the potential of digital platforms to amplify citizen voices and the challenges posed by information overload, identity politics, and misinformation. My work was published in flagship journals across disciplines, including the American Political Science Review, Journal of Communication , Public Opinion Quarterly, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) .
Beyond advancing theoretical insights, I am deeply committed to translating research into real-world impact. My methodological contributions integrate qualitative and computational analyses to examine text, visuals, and social media data, enriching our understanding of public discourse and digital misinformation. As a civic engagement practitioner, I collaborate with local governments and communities in the U.S. and China to pilot innovative public engagement strategies, ensuring that scholarly work informs practical solutions for everyday challenges. My practices were covered by local media such as Palo Alto Weekly in California and the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change Blog in Wisconsin. With a Ph.D. in Communication from Stanford University, an MPA from Columbia University, and strong support from funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and American Family Insurance, I remain dedicated to turning academic insights into transformative community practices to bridge the gaps between science and technology policymaking and public values.