Aaron is a final-year doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication and New Media at the National University of Singapore. His current research interest centers on computational communication, seeking to fuse the latest computational techniques and tools with traditional quantitative and methods and theories to come up with innovative insights into contemporary research problems.

Other areas of research Aaron has expertise in include fake news and online misinformation, emotions, health communication, public opinion, scientific communication, cognitive science, big data, and machine learning. He has a keen interest in research Asian contexts because he believes that Asia is highly diverse and thus has great potential to yield new and critical insights to advance communication scholarship.

Natively billingual in English and Mandarin Chinese, Aaron is experienced in working with researchers from both English and Chinese academic spheres. He is currently a panel member on the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore's Publication Consultative Committee, providing expert opinion on print publication policy.

Aaron is also a highly experienced educator who has won numerous teaching awards in a teaching career spanning 15 years. His core teaching competency is the ability to explain difficult and highly technical subject matter in easy-to-understand terms, and his students has consistently rate him as a patient, engaging, and highly motivating educator. He also has strong leadership and management capabilities from his service as a senior military commander in the Singapore Armed Forces.

He is currently completing his doctoral dissertation on the role of emotions in how individuals process online vaccine misinformation.

National University of Singapore

2017 - Present

PhD, expected 2021

Graduate Teaching Fellowship recipient

National University of Singapore

2007 - 2010

Masters of Arts

National University of Singapore

2003 - 2007

Bachelors of Social Science with Honours

PhD Researcher, National University of Singapore

Jan 2017 - Present

Dissertation title: Emotions and perceptions of accuracy of online vaccine misinformation: A proposed model

Currently investigating the role of emotions and perception accuracy in vaccine misinformation using online experimental techniques. Experienced in using major R packages (e.g. stats, lavaan, psych, ggplot2) and Python (e.g. Pandas, NumPy, Scikit Learn) libraries for data science and natural language processing (NLP) analysis, as well as data visualization.

Masters Researcher, National University of Singapore

August 2007 - Dec 2010

Thesis title: The relationship between blogs and newspapers in Singapore: An intermedia agenda-setting study

Studied how blogs and the mass media influenced each other in terms of agenda-setting using content analysis of influential socio-political blogs and mainstream news media.

Undergraduate Researcher, National University of Singapore

January 2007 - April 2007

Thesis title: Effect of fear of authority on the Spiral of Silence

Studied how the fear of authority affects public expression of opinion through the spiral of silence using a classical experimental setting.

Xi, Y., & Ng, A. (2020). Implied truth, complementary media practices, and successful atomized activism in China. Global Media and China, 5(3), 275-293. https://doi.org/10.1177/2059436420907185

Xi, Y., & Ng, A. (2020). Disappearing bargain and technical sharing: The sociocultural influence of mobile payment in China. Chinese Journal of Communication. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17544750.2020.1814369

Xi, Y., & Ng, A. (2020). Space as ideological state apparatus: The invisible fetter on social movements in China. Media, Culture & Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443720977302

Ng, A. (2020). How individuals respond to misinformation: Rebooting the Extended Parallel Processing Model. Manuscript under review.

Jiang, S., & Ng, A. (2020). The Roles of Social Media Information Discussing, Information Overload and Patient Empowerment in Influencing HPV Knowledge: An Extension of the Cognitive Mediation Model Manuscript under review.

Xi, Y., Chen, A., & Ng, A. (2020). Public health news reporting with Chinese characteristics: Understanding pre-crisis COVID-19 news reporting through a moderated mediation model. Manuscript under review.

Chen, L., Chen, A., & Ng, A. (2020). From divergence to convergence: A longitudinal network agenda-setting study of online GMO discussions in China. Manuscript under review.

Chen, A., Ng, A., Xi, Y., & Hu, Y. (2020). What makes an online help-seeking message go far during the COVID-19 crisis in China? A multilevel regression analysis. Manuscript under review.

Ng, A., & Chen, A. (2020). Computational reflexivity and triangulation: A methodological framework integrating human and machine understanding of meaning. Manuscript in preparation.

* denotes corresponding author, bold text denotes co-first author

Chen, L., Chen, A., & Ng, A. (2020). From divergence to convergence: A longitudinal network agenda-setting study of online GMO discussions in China. 103rd Annual Conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Aug 6 – 9.

Xi, Y., & Ng, A. (2020). Communication placation: State appropriation of satire in China. 18th Chinese Internet Research Conference.

Graduate Student Tutor, National University of Singapore

January 2018 - Present

Taught digital labs of up to 25 students on design and visual communication and introductory data science.

Also taught tutorial classes on quantitative research methods using SPSS and R.

Lecturer, National University of Singapore

January 2011 - Dec 2017

Taught courses on introduction to media writing, online journalism, designing for strategic communication, advanced publication and graphics design, managing communication campaigns, smart cities and campaigns in Singapore.

Responsible for designing, planning, teaching and administering courses in lecture, seminar and sectional teaching styles. Taught more than 30 undergraduate courses in six years with class sizes ranging from three to 200 students.

Teaching Assistant, National University of Singapore

August 2007 - Dec 2010

Taught courses on introduction to media writing, news reporting and editing, design for strategic communication and advanced publication and graphics design.

Responsible for sectional teaching and assisting course coordinator with course administration.

Regimental Sergeant-Major, Singapore Armed Forces

January 2014 - Present

Coordinates and oversees day-to-day training activities and logistics, enforces compliance with training safety and maintains discipline standards of more than 600 men and junior commanders across four companies in an army reserves battalion.

Advises battalion Commanding Officer on matters relating to training, discipline and regimentation.

Company Sergeant-Major, Singapore Armed Forces

January 2011 - December 2013

Coordinated and oversaw day-to-day training activities and logistics, enforced compliance with training safety and maintained discipline standards of around 150 soldiers and junior commanders across three platoons in an army reserves company.

Advised company Officer Commanding on matters relating to training, discipline and regimentation.

Platoon Sergeant, Singapore Armed Forces

January 2010 - December 2011

Conducted day-to-day training activities, enforced compliance with training safety and maintained discipline standards of 50 soldiers comprising three sections in an army reserves platoon.

Advised platoon commander on matters relating to training, discipline and regimentation.

Founding President, Communications and New Media Society, National University of Singapore

September 2005 - August 2006

Founded the undergraduate student society for the Department of Communications and New Media, set up its executive committee and drafted its constitution.

Assistant Secretary, Council Member & Arts Faculty Representative, National University of Singapore Students’ Union

September 2004 - August 2005

Elected to the highest student government body in NUS.

Engaged and advised the University’s administration on key policies and issues affecting over 20,000 undergraduates.

Member, Publications Consultative Panel, Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore

January 2015 - Present

Advises the Infocomm Media Development Authority on policy matters relating to the regulation of print media in Singapore.

Member, Graduate Board of Discipline, National University of Singapore

May 2018 - June 2019

Sat in tribunal proceedings as a student representative to hear cases involving offenses committed by graduate students and jointly decided on the tribunal's verdict with four other tribunal members.

Graduate Student Representative, Department of Communication and New Media, National University of Singapore

January 2018 - September 2020

Liaises with the department administration on behalf of over 50 graduate students on academic related matters and represent their interests.

Founding Member, Advisor and Technical Director, gCON

January 2019 - Present

Founded, organized and advised the inaugural annual graduate student conference (gCON) of the Department of Communication and New Media.

Responsible for maintaining gCON’s digital presence and online conference management system.

National Serviceman of the Year (Combat Engineer Formation), Singapore Armed Forces

2020

Graduate Student Teaching Award Honour Roll, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore

2020

Graduate Student Teaching Award, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore

Fall Semester, 2019

Spring Semester, 2019

Fall Semester, 2018

National Service Medal, Singapore Armed Forces

2018

Good Service Medal, Singapore Armed Forces

2015

Best Teaching Assistant, Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore

2011

Excellent Teaching Assistant, Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore

2009

2008

NTUC Income Prize, Top Honours Graduate in Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore

2007