Biographical Note
Xinrui He is an M.A. student in Sociology at Columbia University. She received her B.A. in Sociology with Research Distinction from The Ohio State University.
Her research centers on digital media and digital publics from a sociological perspective. She is particularly interested in how media platforms mediate social experience, shape the circulation of cultural narratives and public affect, and make broader structures of inequality visible in everyday life. Her previous independent research examines youth experiences of education, work, identity, and social mobility across cultural contexts, with particular attention to East Asia and transpacific comparison. Methodologically, she is interested in qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to digital media, including textual and semantic analysis, platform-based research, and comparative analysis.
Beyond her academic work, Xinrui is committed to community building and student support. She founded and continues to lead a student mutual-aid community that has grown to more than 500 members, developing peer-support networks and practical resources for students.