Drop-in hours

• Fall 2026
  • Tuesday 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
  • Thursday 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Marcella is a PhD student at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa. She grew up in Guangdong province in southern China. Her educational background includes a BA in Journalism from the South China Normal University and an MA in Global Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Marcella’s research interests lie at the intersection of technology, digital culture, and gender politics. Currently, she focuses on the interplay between global culture and local gender politics in the Chinese setting, driven by a goal of illuminating the structural forces that shape inequality and imagining more equitable and inclusive futures.

Marcella has presented her papers at conferences such as the International Communication Association, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, and the International Association for Media and Communication Research.

Recent publication

Zeng, W. (2025). Performing Girlhood and Sisterhood in China: Chinese International Student Influencers’ Everyday Self-Presentation on RedNote. Social Media+ Society, 11(3), 20563051251356160. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251356160