Science for Inclusive Innovation in Media & Technology
Science for Inclusive Innovation in Media & Technology
Together we aim to uncover how entertainment media and technology can contribute to positive development, well-being and social cohesion.
Through our collaborations we cover a wide range of expertise, from marketing to youth development, and media products, from social robots to dating apps.
Justin Chun-ting Ho is a postdoctoral researcher at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research. Prior to his time in Amsterdam, he worked at Academia Sinica in Taipei and Sciences Po in Paris. He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Edinburgh. His research focuses on computational methods, the underrepresentation of languages and cultures in AI models, and the biases that can arise as a result.
Sindy Sumter is an associate professor at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) at the University of Amsterdam, whose research is driven by curiosity and a fascination with entertainment and communication technologies.
She investigates how design of social media, dating apps and smartphones affect young people’s socio-emotional functioning and identity development. While these technologies offer many benefits, sometimes young people want to take a break. She wonders what is making it so difficult to use digital technologies less and explore more, and whether today’s technologies are able to fulfill all young people’s identity developmental needs (e.g., ethnic identity, gender identity, or sexual identity).
When not at the office, she loves trying out different materials in her sketchbook, hiking (not running) and adding books to her to be read list. Sindy earned her Master’s degree in Culture Science and Technology at Goldsmiths, University of London and her PhD in Developmental Psych at Leiden University, The Netherlands.
Cherrie Joy (Chei) Billedo is an assistant professor at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) at the University of Amsterdam, with a passion for making a difference through her work and advocacy. Her research focuses on media representation effects among young people, representation in media science, and social media use among marginalized social groups. She also studies how social media helps people adjust to new cultures and maintain relationships, especially for those living abroad.
As a proud advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, particularly in her home country, the Philippines, Chei strives to create a more inclusive society.
She loves traveling, learning about different cultures, and collecting children’s books that celebrate diversity and inclusion. Chei earned her Master’s degree in Socia Psychology from the University of the Philippines and her PhD in Communication Science at VU University in the Netherlands.
Irene I. van Driel is an assistant professor at the Youth and Media Entertainment Group at the University of Amsterdam.
Her research focuses on inclusive technology for youth and co-creating inclusive media spaces that bridge majority and minoritized perspectives. She integrates diverse student experiences into her teaching and develops inclusive strategies for learning.
Irene is a founding member of SeeMeBeMe, advocating for authentic media representations that promote self-esteem and understanding among young people.
In her free time, Irene has a love for anything outdoorsy, and bingewatching crime shows, sculpturing humans and their emotions, and dreams of owning multiple dogs and cats in a home close to a forest. Irene worked in the media industry before embarking on her PhD journey at Indiana University Bloomington.
Lauren B. Taylor is a lecturer in the Youth and Media Entertainment Group at the University of Amsterdam, where she teaches several courses on the subject of representation in media and its significance for youth development.
She researches the impact of social media, in particular, influencers and user-generated content, on youth mental health and wellbeing, with an additional focus on the role of identity representation in this process.
Having conducted both academic and industry research, Lauren is passionate about work that bridges the gaps between academia, industry, and policy-makers to help foster an inclusive and beneficial social media environment for all youth.
When she is not working, Lauren spends her time watching sports, trying to keep up with her 12 siblings, and looking for media content to critique and inspire research.
Lauren earned both her Master’s degree and PhD in Communication Science at the University of California, Davis.
Andrea Weihrauch is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Consumer Psychology at the University of Amsterdam – Amsterdam Business School.
She obtained her PhD from Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany and completed her PostDoc at KU Leuven in Belgium, with visiting appointments at London Business School, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.
Her research focuses on how consumer behavior changes as the lines between humans and machines become blurry and consumers are exposed to technologies such as (humanoid) robots, artificial intelligence, and technological human-enhancement products. She specifically examineshow to use (disruptive) innovations for consumer well-being and positive societal change. As such, technology ethics and technology-based inequalities are part of her interests, and she focuses a lot of her work on vulnerable/marginalized consumer groups. Her work has appeared in major academic journals such as Journal of Marketing and Journal of Consumer Psychology.
Saurabh is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication Science, University of Amsterdam.
His research involves using computational methods to study both the diversity and the limits of human knowledge in an increasingly digitized world.
Ongoing projects can be found at theinvisiblelab.org.
Martina Cossu is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Amsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam.
She holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration and Management from Bocconi University (Milan), with a focus on consumer behavior, social cognition and inclusivity.
Martina’s research spans areas including consumer reactions to brand inclusivity, the role of emotions in decision-making, and the intersection of technology and diversity. She has also been a Visiting Ph.D. Student at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Florida.
Her work has been published in leading journals such as Cognition. Martina is deeply invested in advancing inclusivity in marketing and business practices, with ongoing projects related to diversity in media, technology, and retail spaces.
