Jiaying (Vivian) Zhai is a doctoral student at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She takes a social cognitive approach to studying health and organizational communication with a special interest in campaign and message designs that can incentivize prosocial behaviors. Her research aspires to serve traditionally underprivileged groups.

Prior to joining Annenberg, Zhai graduated with Distinction from the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she received a BA in Communication Arts and Sociology as well as a Certificate in Digital Studies.