nikki thomas is a journalist, cat mom, Philly sports fan, and PhD candidate at USC Annenberg. Her research centers on the emergent social dynamics of sports fandom as informed by new media and datafication, with a particular focus on how the American sporting environment has redefined the relationships between fans and athletes.

nikki earned her BA in Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MSEd in Education, Culture and Society from Penn's Graduate School of Education.