BIO

ACADEMIC BIO (short)

Thi Ngoc Bich (Becky) Pham is a Ph.D. Candidate (Communication) at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California. She researches how families, young people and immigrant communities use digital media and consume popular culture, and how their media engagement shapes their communication and lived experience. Her research has been published in Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, Journal of Children and Media, New Media & Society, and in notable edited volumes. Her writing for general audience has appeared on Psychology Today, Greater Good Magazine, and The Connected Learning Alliance Blog. She has appeared on ABC7 Eyewitness News and her co-authored work has been covered by DEADLINE, IndieWire, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kidscreen, NextShark, NPR, SBS Evening News, The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety, among others. For more information, visit https://beckypham.com/

ACADEMIC BIO (long)

Thi Ngoc Bich (Becky) Pham is a Ph.D. Candidate (Communication) at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California (USC). She researches how families, young people and immigrant communities use digital media and consume popular culture, and how their media engagement shapes their communication and lived experience. Her research has been published in Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, Journal of Children and Media, New Media & Society, and in notable edited volumes. Her writing for general audience has appeared on Psychology Today, Greater Good Magazine, and The Connected Learning Alliance Blog. She has appeared on ABC7 Eyewitness News and her co-authored work has been covered by DEADLINE, IndieWire, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kidscreen, NextShark, NPR, SBS Evening News, The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety, among others.  

Becky is a Fellow with the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Social Media Editor to the Intellect journal Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration. 

Becky was born and raised in the south of Vietnam in the 1990s and the 2000s. She moved to Singapore where she studied and worked in the 2010s. In 2019, she moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue her Ph.D. in Communication. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences, First Class Honors (2014) and a Master of Arts (2017)  from the Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore (NUS), for which she was awarded the ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship and NUS Tuition Fee Waiver for Graduate Students. She also holds a Master of Arts (2022) from USC, for which she was awarded the Annenberg Fellowship. 

Becky speaks Vietnamese (native), English (proficient), Mandarin Chinese (pre-intermediate, equivalent to lower HSK 3), Japanese (elementary, equivalent to lower JLPT N5), and Korean (elementary, equivalent to lower Topik I.1)*. For more information, visit https://beckypham.com/

BIO FOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING GENERAL AUDIENCE

Becky Pham (Master of Arts, University of Southern California) is a social science researcher in communication and media studies. She is working on her Ph.D. at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at USC. She specializes in researching digital media use and popular culture consumption by parents, young people and immigrant communities. She firmly believes in translating academic research for societal benefit. Her writing has appeared on Psychology Today. She has appeared on ABC7 Eyewitness News and her work has been covered by DEADLINE, IndieWire, Kidscreen, NextShark, SBS Evening News, and Variety. She has more than 2 years of working experience (ad-hoc basis) with non-profit organizations in the US and the UK. She also has more than 4 years of teaching experience in higher education in the US and Singapore. She speaks Vietnamese (native), English (proficient), Mandarin Chinese (pre-intermediate), Japanese (elementary) and Korean (elementary).  For more information, visit https://beckypham.com/

BIO FOR VIETNAMESE-SPEAKING GENERAL AUDIENCE / TIỂU SỬ TIẾNG VIỆT

Phạm Thị Ngọc Bích (tên tiếng Anh: Becky Pham) là một nhà nghiên cứu khoa học xã hội về phương tiện và thiết bị truyền thông. Chuyên môn của cô tập trung vào sự ảnh hưởng của truyền thông và văn hoá đại chúng lên cha mẹ, con cái, và cộng đồng người nhập cư. Cô được sinh ra và lớn lên ở miền Nam Việt Nam, sau đó du học và sinh sống ở Singapore và California, Mỹ. Cô có bằng Cử Nhân và Thạc Sĩ ngành Truyền Thông từ Đại Học Quốc Gia Singapore (NUS), và bằng Thạc Sĩ thứ hai ngành Truyền Thông từ Đại Học Nam California (USC). Cô hiện đang làm chương trình Tiến Sĩ ngành Truyền Thông cũng tại Đại Học Nam California (USC). Cô có hơn 2 năm kinh nghiệm làm việc với các tổ chức phi lợi nhuận tại Mỹ và Anh Quốc, và hơn 4 năm kinh nghiệm giảng dạy đại học ở Mỹ và Singapore. Để biết thêm thông tin chi tiết, truy cập vào trang https://beckypham.com/. 

*I learn East Asian languages both as a hobby and part of my research work, but I am not great at them (yet). My Mandarin Chinese is better than my Korean and Japanese because I used to live in Singapore for almost a decade, and the grammar of Vietnamese and Mandarin Chinese are 60-70% similar. Korean and Japanese are very difficult for me, but I listen to Korean music every day and my partner's first language is Japanese so I force him to be my tutor (he also speaks English, Bangla, and Spanish). 

• 2019-2024 (expected), Ph.D. in Communication
  USA, California
  University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
  • Specialized tracks: (1) New Media & Technology, (2) Media, Culture, & Community
  • Committee: Professor Henry Jenkins (Chair, USC Annenberg), Research Professor Colin Maclay (USC Annenberg), Associate Professor Lan Duong (USC Cinematic Arts), Professor Lori Lopez (Wisconsin-Madison, Communication Arts), Associate Professor Tasha Oren (Tufts, Film and Media Studies)

• 2019-2022, Master of Arts in Communication
  USA, California
  University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

• 2015-2017, Master of Arts in Communications & New Media
  Singapore
  National University of Singapore, Department of Communications and New Media
  • Thesis Title: "Parental Mediation of Pre-schoolers' Tablet Usage in Vietnam."

• 2010-2014, Bachelor of Social Sciences (First Class with Honours) in Communications & New Media
  Singapore
  National University of Singapore, Department of Communications and New Media
  • Thesis Title: "ICT Use of Vietnamese Migrant Students in Singapore to Connect with Left-behind Families and Friends."

• 2006-2009, Vietnamese Baccalaureate Diploma
  Vietnam, Dong Nai Province
  Luong The Vinh High School for the Gifted, majored in English Language (Vietnamese: THPT chuyên Lương Thế Vinh, tỉnh Đồng Nai, chuyên Anh)

• 2002-2006, Vietnamese Secondary School Diploma
  Vietnam, Dong Nai Province
  Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary School, majored in Literature (Vietnamese: THCS Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, Biên Hoà, tỉnh Đồng Nai, chuyên Văn)
  
  
  

• August 2023 - now, Instructor
  USA, California
  University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

• August 2020 - May 2023, Graduate Teaching Assistant
  USA, California
  University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism 

• February 2019 - August 2019, Senior Research Assistant
  Singapore
  Singapore University of Technology and Design, Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)

• March 2017 - February 2019, Research Assistant
  Singapore
  Singapore University of Technology and Design, Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)

• January 2015 - December 2016, Graduate Teaching Assistant
  Singapore
  National University of Singapore, Department of Communications and New Media 

• May 2014 - December 2014, Research Assistant
  Singapore
  National University of Singapore, Department of Communications and New Media

• May-July 2012, Intern (Corporate Communications)
  Singapore
  Singapore International Foundation

• 2023, Summer 2023 EASC Graduate Fellowship (USD$1,500), East Asian Studies Center, University of Southern California, USA
• 2023, Graduate School Summer Research and Writing Grant (USD$2,000), The Graduate School, Office of the Provost, University of Southern California, USA
• 2023, Annenberg Graduate Fellowship Research and Creative Project Symposium (USD$1,500), The Graduate School, Office of the Provost, University of Southern California, USA
• 2022, Annenberg Summer Education Fellowship (USD$2,000), to receive more training at the 2022 ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, USA
• 2022, Annenberg Graduate Fellowship Research and Creative Project Symposium (USD$500), The Graduate School, Office of the Provost, University of Southern California, USA
• 2022-2023, Fellowship, Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS), Psychology Department, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
• 2021, Junior Fellowship, Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS), Psychology Department, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
• 2020, Program Scholar with Developmental, Child and Family Psychology Scholarship, to receive training at the 2020 ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research (program fee worth USD$3,500), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, USA [link]
• 2020, Annenberg Summer Research Fellowship (USD$1,650), Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, USA
• 2020, Annenberg Graduate Fellowship Research and Creative Project Symposium (USD$1,500), The Graduate School, Office of the Provost, University of Southern California, USA [link]
• 2020, Travel/Research Award (USD$1,000), The Graduate School, Office of the Provost, University of Southern California, USA
• 2020-2024, Annenberg Graduate Assistantship, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, USA
• 2019-2024, Annenberg Fellowship, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, USA
• 2018, Travel Grant Award (SGD$350), Digital Transactions in Asia 2018 conference, October 10-12, Manila, the Philippines, organised by The University of Queensland, Australia and De La Salle University, Manila, the Philippines
• 2016, Conference Sponsorship for Graduate Students (SGD$2,000), Academic Research Fund to attend the 66th ICA conference, June 9-13, Fukuoka, Japan, awarded by National University of Singapore and Singapore's Ministry of Education, Singapore
• 2015-2016, Graduate Tutor Assistantship (GTA), National University of Singapore, Singapore
• 2015-2016, NUS Tuition Fee Allowance/Waiver (TFW) for Graduate Students, National University of Singapore, Singapore
• 2014, Dean's Scholar List plus SGD$500 (Undergraduate top 1%), National University of Singapore, Singapore
• 2014, Dean's List (Undergraduate), National University of Singapore, Singapore
• 2014, Dean's List (Undergraduate), National University of Singapore, Singapore
• 2012, Dean's List (Undergraduate), National University of Singapore, Singapore
• 2011, Dean's List (Undergraduate), National University of Singapore, Singapore
• 2010-2014, ASEAN Scholarship for International Undergraduate Students, National University of Singapore, Singapore
• 2009, Top Scorer, Entrance Examination to Foreign Trade University (Ho Chi Minh campus) (Vietnamese: Thủ Khoa Khối D, thi tuyển vào Đại Học Ngoại Thương, Cơ Sở II), Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam [link]
• 2008, 2nd Prize, National Competition for Gifted Students in English Language (Vietnamese: Giải Nhì Học Sinh Giỏi Quốc Gia, môn Anh), Vietnam 
• 2008, Gold Medal, Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted's 30/4 Olympic Competition in English Language (Vietnamese: Huy Chương Vàng, Cuộc thi Olympic truyền thống 30/4, môn Anh, tổ chức bởi THPT chuyên Lê Hồng Phong), Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
• 2005, 2nd Prize, Provincial Competition for Gifted Students in Vietnamese Literature (Vietnamese: Giải Nhì Học Sinh Giỏi Tỉnh,  môn Văn, tổ chức bởi Sở Giáo Dục & Đào Tạo tỉnh Đồng Nai), Dong Nai Province, Vietnam