Leadership & Staff

Meet the leadership, staff, Knight Fellows, and faculty advisors of the Penn Center on Media, Technology and Democracy.

Core Team

The faculty co-directors, executive leadership, and staff who run Penn MEDIATED day to day.

Duncan Watts

Duncan Watts

Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor; Co-Director, Penn Center on Media, Technology & Democracy

 Christopher Yoo

Christopher Yoo

Imasogie Professor in Law and Technology; Co-Director, Penn Center on Media, Technology & Democracy

 Alex Engler

Alex Engler

Executive Director

 Prithvi Iyer

Prithvi Iyer

Communications and Research Manager
Alexis Frisbie

Alexis Frisbie

Engagement and Policy Manager

Knight Fellows

Postdoctoral and PhD researchers supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Yijing Chen

Yijing Chen

Knight Post-doctoral Fellow

 Nolan Siegel

Nolan Siegel

Knight PhD Fellow

 Elliot Pickens

Elliot Pickens

Knight PhD Fellow

 Burak Ozturan

Burak Ozturan

Knight Post-doctoral Fellow

 Jackey Liang

Jackey Liang

Knight PhD Fellow

 Thomas Chamberlain

Thomas Chamberlain

Knight Post-doctoral Fellow

 Alumnus Amir Tohidi

Amir Tohidi

Knight Post-doctoral Fellow

 Alumna Jennifer Allen

Jennifer Allen

Knight Post-doctoral Fellow

Faculty Advisors

Penn faculty across six schools who guide the Center's research agenda.

Amy Gutmann

Amy Gutmann

Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science; Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication; Penn President Emerita

 Kathleen Hall Jamieson

Kathleen Hall Jamieson

Faculty Advisor; Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication

 Danaé Metaxa

Danaé Metaxa

Faculty Advisor; Raj and Neera Singh Term Assistant Professor, Computer and Information Science

 Desmond Patton

Desmond Patton

Faculty Advisor; Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, School of Social Policy & Practice

 Sandra González-Bailón

Sandra González-Bailón

Faculty Advisor; Carolyn Marvin Professor of Communication and Sociology, Annenberg School for Communication

 Yphtach Lelkes

Yphtach Lelkes

Faculty Advisor; Associate Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication

 Daniel J. Hopkins

Daniel J. Hopkins

Faculty Advisor; Julie and Martin Franklin Presidential Professor of Political Science, School of Arts and Sciences

Part Time Staff

Student and part-time contributors supporting our research and operations.

Fiona Herzog

Fiona Herzog

Web Designer

Tarun Kumanduri

Tarun Kumanduri

AI Auditing Engineer

Manuela Buesa

Manuela Buesa

Student Communications Associate

Pau Torres Pagès

Pau Torres Pagès

Research Analyst

Alumna Helena Zhou

Helena Zhou

Research Analyst

Alumna Arzoo Gupta

Arzoo Gupta

Research Analyst

Alumna Victoria Feng

Victoria Feng

Research Analyst