New People at the Department
Nadja Rupprechter
Nadja Rupprechter joined IKMZ in April 2025 as a research and teaching assistant in the Media Psychology & Methods division. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Communication Science from the University of Vienna. In her dissertation project, she investigates how people form parasocial relationships with conversational AI, develops and refines the measurement of constructs, and examines how this technology influences users’ everyday lives. In addition to her research, she will contribute to teaching on topics related to human–chatbot relationship development and research methods.
We warmly welcome Nadja Rupprechter as a new member of the IKMZ team!
Megan Rollerson
Megan Rollerson joined the Strategic Communication & Media Management division of IKMZ and the DSI Community Sustainability as a DSI fellow from April to June 2025. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and business administration from Simon Fraser University, Canada, and a master’s degree in strategic communication from Lund University, Sweden. During her fellowship, in collaboration with Prof. Nadine Strauß, she is developing research on corporate discourses surrounding AI and sustainability, specifically exploring how leading AI companies communicate the environmental impacts of AI technology. The project employs a mixed-method approach, including discourse analysis of corporate communications and public perception surveys, to understand how strategic communication shapes attitudes toward sustainable digitalization. The research aims to analyze the implications for public perceptions, regulatory policy, and corporate strategies.
We warmly welcome Megan Rollerson as a new member of the IKMZ team!
Philippe Sloksnath
Philippe Sloksnath joined IKMZ in June 2025 as a research & teaching assistant at the Media Psychology and Methods division. He completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Psychology at the University of Zurich. In his Master’s, he experimentally investigated which factors influence the willingness to delegate moral decisions to AI systems, specializing in social psychology and human-robot interaction. He further contributed to research projects on misinformation and online choice architecture preferences, and he worked as a student assistant at the Division of Individual Differences and Diagnostics at the Department of Psychology, UZH. In his PhD, he will focus on the effects of AI-generated media content on attitude formation and credibility assessments. He is generally interested in media psychology, AI ethics and methods.
We warmly welcome Philippe Sloksnath as a new member of the IKMZ team!
Nicole Bizzotto
Nicole Bizzotto joined IKMZ in June 2025. During the first two months, she will support both teaching and research activities as a staff member. In the beginning of August 2025, she will take on the role of a senior research and teaching associate in the division of Media Psychology and Methods. Nicole holds a PhD in Communication from the Università della Svizzera italiana (Lugano, Switzerland). In her dissertation, she investigated the risks associated with participation in Facebook-based online support groups for individuals with mental health conditions, with a particular focus on the spread of mental health misinformation. Her research combined methods such as quantitative content analysis, cluster analysis, and experimental design. She has a background in Cognitive Psychology and has completed research stays at Technische Universität Berlin (Germany) and the University of Antwerp (Belgium). At IKMZ, she will continue her research on the potential adverse effects of mental health-related content on social media.
We warmly welcome Nicole Bizzotto as a new member of the IKMZ team!
Gerta Lokaj
Gerta Lokaj joined the Science Communication division at IKMZ as a student assistant in May 2025. After receiving her Master’s degree in Internet and Society at IKMZ in July 2025, she will change her role to a doctoral research assistant working in the SNF-funded project “Science Communication in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Research and Sociology at the University of Zurich. From March 2022 to December 2024, she worked as a student assistant in the Internet Use and Society division at IKMZ, where she studied people’s algorithm skills and ChatGPT knowledge. For her Master’s thesis, she explored Swiss adults’ understanding of generative AI.
We warmly welcome Gerta Lokaj as a new member of the IKMZ team!
Damiano Lombardi
Damiano Lombardi joined the Science Communication division at IKMZ as a student assistant in 2022 and has been part of the SNF-funded project “Science Communication in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” since May 2025. After receiving his Master’s degree in Political Communication and Governance (Major) and Methods, Data & Society (Minor) at IKMZ in July 2025, he will transition to the role of doctoral research assistant within the same project.
He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Research and History at the University of Zurich. From June 2022 to December 2024, he also worked as a student assistant in the Political Communication division at IKMZ under the supervision of Prof. Thomas Zerback. His Master’s thesis investigated Swiss journalists’ perceptions of generative AI.
We warmly welcome Damiano Lombardi as a new member of the IKMZ team!
Xiran Liu
Xiran Liu joined the Science Communication division at IKMZ as a student assistant in June 2025. She will change her function to a teaching and research assistant in September 2025. Xiran works even as an academic associate in the Computational Social and Communication Science division. Previously, she was a master’s student in Internet & Society at the University of Zurich and a student assistant in the Computational Social and Communication Science division. Her research interests include public communication about generative AI technologies and the inclusion of them in science communication processes.
We warmly welcome Xiran Liu as a new member of the IKMZ team!
Zhengyi Xu
Zhengyi Xu will join the Political Communication division at IKMZ in July 2025 as a research and teaching assistant. His research focuses on news consumption and political engagement, with a particular interest in how news negativity and news avoidance relate to well-being, and how people navigate and engage with politics in the context of today’s complex news environment. He completed his Master’s degree in Communication Science at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where he focused on news consumption and the effects of paywall strategies on user behavior.
We warmly welcome Zhengyi Xu as a new member of the IKMZ team!