Meet the 2024–26 CPD Research Fellows

The Center is pleased to announce the addition of three new CPD Research Fellows: Jess Carniel, Myoung-Gi Chon, and Alexander Evans. 

CPD Research Fellows are selected from a competitive pool of international applicants from around the world and each oversees a substantive research project that yields at least two outputs, including one paper published by CPD Perspectives on Public Diplomacy. The second output may consist of a series for the CPD Blog or another type of publication the Fellow develops with CPD.

Jess Carniel is Associate Professor in Humanities in the School of Humanities and Communication and the Centre for Heritage and Culture at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Drawing upon a broad humanistic tradition, she teaches international relations, ethics, and critical theory. Located at the intersection of Cultural Studies and International Studies, her research reveals how various cultural phenomena, from the Eurovision Song Contest to the British royal family, help us to develop a deep and critical understanding of multicultural and globalised communities, identities, and relations. 

Carniel's 2024-2026 CPD Research Fellowship project, "A Study of the Eurovision Song Contest as an Enabler of Participatory Diplomacy," focuses primarily on how Eurovision fans act upon the political situations of participating Eurovision nations, such as voting, boycotts, social media debate and/or activism.

Myoung-Gi Chon is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Officer (GPO) at the School of Communication and Journalism, Auburn University. As an associate editor for Asian Journal of Public Relations (AJPR) and Director of the SoliU research lab, he brings extensive expertise to his roles. Additionally, Chon is an active board member of Korea Corner, an organization committed to fostering understanding and bridging cultural gaps between the Korean community and non-Korean communities. 

Chon’s 2024-2026 CPD Research Fellowship project, "South Korea’s Soft Power Impact in the United States: Exploring the Influence of K-Culture, Corporate Reputation, and Co-Orientation on Positive Amplification and Resonance," investigates the influence of the Korean wave (K-culture) and the reputation of Korean corporations (K-economy) in the United States.

Alexander Evans, Ph.D. O.B.E., is a Professor in Practice in Public Policy at the London School of Economics. He also directs the MPA in Data Science for Public Policy. His previous academic posts have included being the Henry Kissinger Chair at the Library of Congress, a Senior Fellow at Yale, and a Gwilym Gibbon Fellow at Nuffield College Oxford. A career diplomat, he has worked as an advisor to the Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street, Strategy Director in the Cabinet Office, and Director Cyber in the Foreign Office. 

Evans' 2024-26 CPD Research Fellowship project "Cyber Public Diplomacy" will focus on how cyber diplomacy is influencing – and changing – the content and strategic approach to public diplomacy by leading liberal democracies.  

About CPD Research Fellows

Since 2009, the USC Center on Public Diplomacy Research Fellowship has supported and publicized the work of scholars and practitioners of public diplomacy. Each year, the Center selects three non-resident fellows, each serving a two-year term. All CPD Research Fellows can be viewed as part of our network here.