Education
- Ph.D., Communication, University of Maryland
- M.A., Communication, Seoul National University
- B.A., Entrepreneurship & Ad/PR, Sookmyung Women’s University
What are the main focuses of your research?
My research focuses on health and strategic communication, particularly mental health and well-being. I study how communication can shape people’s emotions, attitudes, behaviors, and willingness to talk about important health issues. My recent work examines mental health conversations and self-disclosure, especially the growing role of AI chatbots as communication partners. I am also interested in media and message effects, including how meaningful and emotionally engaging messages can encourage conversation and support well-being.
Professional experience
I participated in government funded research projects in Korea, including projects funded by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), K-water, and the Ministry of Education.
What specific courses or specialties do you teach?
- Communication Research Methods
- Public Relations
- Intercultural Communication
- Principals of Media
In your opinion, what is the most important piece of advice you give your students to help them succeed?
Figure out what genuinely excites you. What do you want to spend your time building up? Where do you want to invest your time and energy? What is something you could pour yourself into and feel that it was worth it? I encourage students to pursue what they care about and not set their own limitations. College is such a unique time to explore those questions. Take a course outside your major, talk to people you might not otherwise meet, and if something catches your eye, dig deeper. I try to weave this into my classroom by encouraging curiosity, giving students opportunities to connect what we are learning to their own interests. And lastly, I always want my students to remember: you are brilliant!
Selected Publications
Articles & Book Chapters
- Kim, R.S., & Wu, X. (2026). Breaking News or Breaking Stigma? The Effect of News Headline Framing of College Mental Health Prescriptions. Communication Reports. https://doi.org/10.1080/08934215.2026.2634041
- RW, R., Wu, X., Kim, R. S., & Nan, X. (2025). Chapter 6: A typology of health communication variables relevant for mental health. In Yzer, M. & Siegel, J. (Eds.), Handbook of Mental Health Communication (pp. 79–91). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394179909.ch6
- Weichelt, B., Namkoong, K., Kim, R. S., Burke, R., Kieke, B., & Aby, R. (2025). Unveiling the Effect of Repeated Exposure to Agricultural Injury News. Journal of Agromedicine. https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2025.2581237
Conference Presentations
- Park, S., Kim, R.S., Wu, X., Song, X., Ao, A. S., & Namkoong, K. (2026, April) Does ChatGPT Really Empathize With Me? A Qualitative Study of Perceived Empathy in AI-Mediated Mental Health Conversations Among College Students. [Poster Presentation]. 2026 Kentucky Conference on Health Communication (KCHC), Lexington, Kentucky
- Kim, R.S. (2025, August) More Than a Feel-Good Story: Eudaimonic Narratives and the Role of Meaningful Affect [Poster presentation]. 108th Annual Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference, San Francisco, California.
- Kim, R.S. (2025, May) The Effect of News Headline Framing about College Mental Health Prescriptions in South Korea. [Paper presentation] 2nd Annual Korean American Communication Association (KACA) Conference, Washington D.C.
- Kim, R.S. (2025, May) Breaking News or Breaking Stigma? The Effect of News Headline Framing of College Mental Health Prescriptions. [Poster presentation] The 8th Biennial D.C. Health Communication Conference (DCHC), Washington D.C.
- Kim, R. S. (2024, August) To Be or Not to Be “Well”: A Concept Explication of Well-being in Communication Research [Paper presentation]. 107th Annual Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (*First-place Top Student Paper Award at COMSHER division at AEJMC).
- Kim, R. S. (2023, November). No Strings Attached: Motivational Quotes as a Provider of Social Support [Paper presentation]. National Communication Association 109th Annual Convention, National Harbor, Maryland.