Dr. Gabriel Hales (website; he/him) is a Senior Research and Teaching Associate in the Internet Use & Society division at the Department of Communication and Media Research (IKMZ), University of Zürich, Switzerland. Gabe holds a Ph.D. in Information and Media (2026) from the Department of Media and Information, College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University. He continues to work closely with the Quello Center at Michigan State University as a Research Fellow, publishing alongside his doctoral advisor, Dr. Keith Hampton.

Gabe’s research investigates how access, use, and skills related to the Internet can enhance or constrain social and academic outcomes, and how they interact with face-to-face social networks. This work is primarily framed by digital inequality. His methodological experience includes advanced statistical analysis (SPSS, Mplus, Stata, R), in-depth qualitative interviewing techniques, and the creation and implementation of survey research.

Prior to his Doctorate, Gabe completed his Master of Arts (2021) and Bachelor of Arts (2020) in Media and Information at Michigan State University. His doctoral dissertation (Hales, 2026) focused on cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of how youth access and mobilize the digital context for development, and the creation of human and social capital (e.g., academic achievement, aspirations, social networks, in-person interaction). If not working on research, he enjoys marathon running, film photography, and spending time outside with his dog.

Please see Gabe’s Google Scholar or Contact for more information.