Dissertation
My dissertation research focuses on how people discuss affirmative action in U.S. college admissions across social media platforms. More specifically, I aim to investigate the landscape of these discussions (e.g., what framings and rhetorical strategies are being used) and the impact of these discussions, both for those perceived to be beneficiaries and the broader public.
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Dissertation Committee:
Dr. Nicole Ellison, University of Michigan School of Information
Dr. Nazanin Andalibi, University of Michigan School of Information
External Member: Dr. Rob Eschmann, Columbia University School of Social Work
Cognate Member: Dr. Carson Byrd, University of Michigan Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education
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Funding:
My dissertation work has been generously funded by:
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University of Michigan Anti-Racism Graduate Research Grant
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University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
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University of Michigan School of Information
Publications
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Pyle, C. (2025, January). Designing for Discourse: Social Media, Socio-Technical Rhetorical Strategies, and Affirmative Action Discussions. Forthcoming in Companion Proceedings of the 2025 ACM Conference on Designing Interactive Systems.
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Pyle, C. (2025, January). Investigating Affirmative Action Discussions on Social Media. In Companion Proceedings of the 2025 ACM International Conference on Supporting Group Work (pp. 103-105).
Presentations
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Pyle, C. (2025). Investigating Affirmative Action Discussions on Social Media. ACM Conference on Supporting Group Work (GROUP) Doctorial Consortium. Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1145/3688828.3699650
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Pyle, C. (2024). The Landscape and Impact of Affirmative Action Discussions on Social Media. Northeast HCI Meeting Doctoral Consortium. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, 2024.
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Pyle, C. (2025). Investigating Discussions of Affirmative Action on Social Media. Anti-Racism Graduate Research Showcase. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 2025.
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Media
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Podcast Appearance: ​
Misplaced Blame: Asian Americans, Affirmative Action, and the True Sources of College Admissions Discrimination​
with Jane Kim, Research Scholar at the University of Michigan, and Dr. W. Carson Byrd, Associate Research Scientist for the University of Michigan Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education
