New People at the Department
Lisi Mai
Lisi Mai joined IKMZ in November 2025 as a Senior Research and Teaching Associate in the Internet Use & Society division. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration (Piano) from China Conservatory of Music and a master’s degree in Communication and New Media from City University of Hong Kong. She earned her Ph.D. in Communication and Media from International Christian University in Japan. In her doctoral research, she investigated how ethnic minorities in Inner Mongolia, China, connect with local communities and digital technologies to shape civic engagement, disaster resilience, and post-disaster recovery. Her work bridges communication infrastructure, digital inequality, and community resilience in multiethnic and urban contexts. Her research interests focus on how digital inequality produces unequal social outcomes, particularly among marginalized and underserved populations across domains. At IKMZ, she will continue her work on digital inequality, with a special focus on older adults and socially disadvantaged groups, as well as the social implications of emerging technologies.
We warmly welcome Lisi Mai as a new member of the IKMZ team!
Elisa Tedaldi
Elisa Tedaldi joined IKMZ in November 2025 as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Science Communication division. Elisa holds a PhD in Psychological Sciences from the Università degli Studi di Padova (Padova, Italy) and, finished grad school, she has worked one year at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (New Haven, USA). In her work, she investigated how people perceive the risks and benefits of the energy transition in different countries (such as Italy, USA, and India) and how promote sustainable behavior change more effectively merging psychological and policy-making frameworks. She has a background in Applied Cognitive Psychology and has completed research stays at Boston College (USA), University of Oregon (USA) and the Universidad de La Laguna (Spain). At IKMZ, she will continue her research on effective communication of climate change and sustainable behaviors.
We warmly welcome Elisa Tedaldi as a new member of the IKMZ team!