Qinghua “Candy” Yang

A 2015 graduate, Qinghua “Candy” Yang hasn’t slowed down since earning her Ph.D. from the University of Miami School of Communication.

Originally from Beijing, Yang earned a full scholarship to the University of Miami. Looking back on her time as a ‘Cane, Yang remembers defending her dissertation which focused on a 3-meta analysis study on computer mediated health communication, as one of her favorite memories. 

“The whole community was very supportive,” said Yang, “it felt good to conclude my study and begin a new chapter.”

Yang credits some of her favorite UM professors as positioning her to be a leader in the health communication field, especially Dr. Michael J. Beatty. Dr. Beatty has been named among the top three most productive scholars in his field and is pioneering communication research in the area of bio-communication theory.

According to Yang, Dr. Beatty was one of the most supportive and influential professors she’s ever had. 

“I love statistics and math, and before I studied communication, I did a lot of it, which makes me very detail oriented. Dr. Beatty was like that too. His methodology was very similar to mine. He is one of the reasons I excel in communication research, because of him I am able to work with very complicated models,” said Yang.

After graduating with her Ph.D., Yang completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School of Communication. She is now an assistant professor at Texas Christian University Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

Yang has been published an astounding 17 times, including in the Journal of Health Communication, the Journal of Substance Abuse, and the Health Information Management Journal. She was also recognized by the National Communication Association with a Top Paper Award in the Health Communication Division as well as in the Association for Chinese Communication Studies Division.

According to Yang, the programs at the University of Miami are one the biggest reasons she has been able to excel in the ever-growing field of communication.

“The University of Miami School of Communication offers every possibility for motivated Ph.D students to excel and achieve their goals in either academia or industry. The program offers rigorous training, individual guidance and tremendous support which helps students succeed,” said Yang.