Stephanie Tom Tong (fe2816)

University information

Title: Professor

Unit: Communication

Department: Fine & Performing Arts

Contact information

stephanie.tong@wayne.edu

569 Manoogian

Communication

Fine Arts

Detroit, 48201

Academic Senate

Email: stephanie.tong@wayne.edu

Department:

Communication

Thru Year: 2025

College/Division: Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

Student Affairs Committee Note: Member

Department of Communication

Honorific: Dr.

Title: Professor

Biography:

Stephanie Tong is a Professor in communication studies. Her research interests lie at the intersection of social media and relational communication. Specifically, she studies how people initiate, maintain, and terminate relationships using popular social media platforms. Her research has appeared in a variety of top journal outlets including, Social Media + Society, Psychology and Health, Personal Relationships, New Media and Society, and Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. She teaches interpersonal communication, communication theory, research methods, and pedagogy at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Tong is the Director of the Social Media and Relational Technologies (SMART) Labs, which investigates how technology affects how people make decisions about their relationships.

Outside of the lab and the classroom, you will find her in the great outdoors. Her free time is spent rock climbing, running, and hanging out with her husband, son, and rescue dog--a “Chug” (Chihuahua-pug mix) named Panzo.

If you're interested in learning more about Dr. Tong's research or want to join the lab team, please visit the SMART Labs homepage. We are always looking for new talent--contact her to discuss open research assistantships and volunteer positions.

Degrees and Certifications:

BA, University of California, Davis

MA, Michigan State University

PhD, Michigan State University

Primary Research Interest:

communication studies, interpersonal communication, social media, relationships, AI

Primary Research Link: http://www.smartlabswayne.com/

Recent Publications:

Tong, S. T., & Van Der Heide, B. (2022). Up to date: Communication and technology in romantic relationships. Peter Lang Press.

Tong, S. T., & DeAndrea, D. C. (2023). The effects of observer expectations on judgments of anti-Asian hate tweets and online activism response. Social Media + Society, 9 (1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051231157299

Gortney, J. S., Agnihotri, S. K., Stepho, M., Yousef, A., & Tong, S. T. (2023). Helping fourth year student pharmacists develop their professional brand. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 15 (10), 903-910. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2023.08.002

Tong, S. T. (2023). Understanding Asian Americans’ resilience to COVID-19 pandemic online hate through latent profiles of ethnic identity. Human Communication & Technology, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.17161/hct.v3i2