Zifei "Fay" Chen

Dr. Zifei “Fay” Chen is an associate professor in the Communication Studies Department and oversees the Public Relations Minor program. Specialized in public relations and strategic communication, Dr. Chen’s research foci include corporate social responsibility and advocacy, startup and entrepreneurial communication, digital communication, and prosocial communication.

Dr. Chen has produced over 30 refereed journal articles, book chapters, and books. Her work has been published in leading refereed journals including the Journal of Public Relations Research, Public Relations Review, New Media and Society, and Journal of Product and Brand Management. She co-authored the book Strategic Communication for Startups and Entrepreneurs in China (Routledge Taylor & Francis). Professionally, Dr. Chen previously worked at Ketchum and Fiserv, and provides communication consultancy for organizations. She is a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) San Francisco Bay Area Chapter and serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Public Relations Research, Public Relations Review, and Public Relations Journal.

• Public relations
• Strategic communication
• Social media strategies

• Corporate social responsibility and advocacy
• Startup and entrepreneurial communication
• Social media and digital communication
• Prosocial communication

• Program coordinator, Public Relations Minor
• Founding faculty advisor, Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), University of San Francisco Chapter

• University of Miami, PhD in Communication, 2017
• University of Georgia, MA in Journalism and Mass Communication, 2013
• Zhejiang University, BA in English with Honors Minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 2011

• University of San Francisco Sarlo Prize for Excellence in Teaching Award, 2023
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Woman of the Year, 2022
• International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC) Boston University Award for the Top Paper about Public Relations and the Social and Emerging Media, 2022
• University of San Francisco Innovation in Teaching with Technology Award, 2020
• International Communication Association (ICA) Conference Public Relations Division Top Faculty Paper Award, 2020

• Chen, Z. F., & Lee, J. Y. (2022). Relationship cultivation and social capital: Female transnational entrepreneurs’ relationship-based communication on social media. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 16(2), 182–205.
• Chen, Z. F., Ji, Y., & Men, L. R. (2021). Effective social media communication for startups in China: Antecedents and outcomes of organization-public dialogic communication. New Media & Society.
• Men, L. R., Ji, Y. G., & Chen, Z. F. (2020). Strategic Communication for Startups and Entrepreneurs in China. Routledge Taylor & Francis. ***Joint second authors***
• Cheng, Y., & Chen, Z. F. (2020). The influence of perceived fake news influence: Examining public support for corporate corrective response, media literacy intervention, and governmental regulation. Mass Communication & Society. 
• Chen, Z. F., & Cheng, Y. (2019). Consumer response to fake news about brands on social media: The effects of self-efficacy, media trust, and persuasion knowledge on brand trust. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 29, 188-198.