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Miriam Metzger received her Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. Her research includes studies of the credibility of information in the new media environment, problems of online privacy and security, the impact of media on public opinion, and the theoretical and regulatory changes brought about by the development of new media technologies. Dr. Metzger teaches courses in communication law, the Internet and society, statistics, media effects, and new developments in mass communication. She has also served as a consultant to the MacArthur Foundation, the New Media Consortium, and the National Library of Medicine based on her work on Internet credibility.

More About Dr. Flanagin

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Andrew Flanagin received his Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. Prior to this, he earned a B.A. from Yale University and worked for several years as a Management Systems Consultant, Systems Analyst, Computer Programmer, and a Foreign Liaison and Technology Transfer Specialist. Professor Flanagin's research focuses on people's perceptions of the credibility of information gathered and presented using digital technologies, collective action and organizing as facilitated by networked technologies, the use of emerging technologies, and organizational technology theory and use. Professor Flanagin teaches courses on the Internet and Web, technologies and organizations, communication theory, collaborative technologies, research methods, and organizational theory and new forms of organizing.

Ryan Medders is a Ph.D. student in the department of Communication at UCSB. He is interested in the emerging relationship between "new" and "old" media and the resulting implications for information consumers. His other research interests include intellectual property, communication law, and the effects of the media on public opinion. He earned his B.A. in political science from Stanford University and his M.S. in mass communication from San Jose State University.

Elisia Sim received her B.A. in Communication from the University of California, Davis and is currently a M.A./Ph.D. student in the Communication department at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research interests include the role of uncertainty in health, information seeking, child cognition, and new media.

Rebekah Pure earned a B.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is currently a doctoral student in Communication at UCSB. She is interested in privacy, reputation, and bullying in the digital age.

Justin Lipp is originally from Southern Minnesota and graduated with a bachelor of arts in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. He also holds a master's of science degree in speech communication from North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. Justin's research interests revolve broadly around socialization on the Internet, and he has worked on projects related to terrorism online, HIV/AIDS NGOs, and nonprofit organizations in disaster situations.

Jennifer Bryan graduated from UCSB in June, 2008 with a BA in Communication. She is interested in new media technology and effects on traditional communication, including the prevalence and popularity of social networking sites and the Wikipedia-type databases. Jennifer is currently working in public relations in Santa Barbara.

Jennifer Dossett graduated in June, 2008 with a BA in Communication and Latin American Iberian Studies and is interested in the influence of technologies on international communities. Jennifer has studied Communication Theory in Morelia, Mexico and Madrid, Spain and is now pursuing a degree an international policy at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Ethan Hartsell is a fourth-year undergraduate Communication-History double major at UCSB. His interests include media effects on individuals and society, social influences on media content, and media literacy. In addition, Ethan recently completed his senior honors thesis on the effects of media literacy interventions on individuals' perceptions of news credibility.

Westin Jacobsen graduated with a B.A. in Communication in June of 2008. She is now working for Database Marketing Group in Irvine, California in the Affiliate Marketing Department. After gaining work experience, Westin plans on attending graduate school. For what, she does not know.

Kaitie Larsen is a senior undergraduate studying communication at UCSB. She is interested in media effects on individuals, the Internet's role in communication, and intercultural communication.

Cori Ochoa is a senior undergraduate studying communication at UCSB. She is interested in cross-cultural influences on communication processes, the influence of global communication on international relations, and the effects of social identity on communication.

Kamyab Sadaghiani is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying human communication at UCSB. Kamyab's interests include uses and effects of communication technologies within organizations, how people think about and communicate credibility in networked digital media, and human responses to interactive media. Additionally, Kamyab is currently working on his senior honors thesis project which will examine the the effects of young adults' vocational socialization experiences on their motivations to be leaders.

Caitie Ulle graduated from UCSB in June, 2008 with a BA in Communication. Her interests include the potential of the Internet and web 2.0 in the marketing field, as well as framing in the media. She is currently living in Santa Barbara and working in public relations.