Rain Wuyu Liu
- Assistant Professor, Communication
- Member of the Graduate Faculty
- (520) 621-1366
- Communication, Rm. 105
- Tucson, AZ 85721
- rainliu@arizona.edu
Biography
Rain Wuyu Liu is an Assistant Professor of Communication. She was born and raised in China. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Southwest University in her home country, she came to the United States in 2010, where she received her M.A. in Public Relations from the University of Miami in 2012, and Ph.D. in Communication from Michigan State University in 2017.
Rain’s research interests span the areas of persuasion, interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, and social influence. Specifically, her research focuses on the impacts of social norm messages on health and environment information processing, attitude change, and health and conservation behavior promotion. She is also interested in the interplay between cultural values and beliefs with the social normative influence in shaping individuals’ attitudes and behaviors. Her other research interests include research methods and statistics, strategic communication and campaign designing.
Rain has extensive experience of working on grant-funded research projects including an interdisciplinary behavioral and social science research (IBSS) project conducted among Tibetan herders in Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Other projects were funded by agencies such as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and Sparrow/MSU Center for Innovation and Research. Her publications have appeared in Environmental Communication, Communication Studies, Intercultural Communication Studies, American Behavioral Social Scientist, Sustainability, Communication Research Reports and Computers in Human Behavior.
She has won multiple Top Paper Awards from the National Communication Association (NCA) and the International Communication Association (ICA), inaugural Environmental Communication Division Dissertation Award from ICA, the Outstanding Paper Award and Outstanding Young Scholar Award from the International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies (IAICS), and multiple research excellence fellowship awards from Michigan State University and the Association for Chinese Communication Studies (ACCS) in NCA.
She teaches courses in public relations, intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, persuasion, research methods, and communication campaign design and analysis.
Degrees
- Ph.D. Communication
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States
- The Influence of Injunctive Social Norms on Food Waste Prevention Behaviors: Toward A Culturally Based Social Normative Approach
- M.A. Public Relations
- The University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States
- Conflict Management Styles in Romantic Relationships Between Chinese and American Students: Exploring the Role of Cultural Individualism-Collectivism and Self-Construal
- B.A. English (Concentration: English-Chinese Translation and Interpretation)
- Southwest University, Chongqing, China
Work Experience
- The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2019 - Ongoing)
- Bellarmine University (2017 - 2019)
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (2012 - 2017)
Awards
- Inaugural Environmental Communication Division Dissertation Award
- International Communication Association, Summer 2018
- Top Paper Award
- Intercultural Communication Division, International Communication Association, Summer 2017
- Intercultural Communication Division- International Communication Association, Summer 2017
- Environmental Communication Division, National Communication Association, Fall 2016
- Dr. D. Ray Helsey Graduate Scholarship
- Association for Chinese Communication Studies, National Communication Association, Fall 2016
- Communication Arts & Science Summer Excellence Research Fellowship
- Michigan State University, Spring 2016
- Michigan State University, Spring 2015
- Michigan State University, Spring 2014
- Outstanding Paper Award & Outstanding Young Scholar Award
- 21st Annual International Conference of the International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies, Summer 2015
Licensure & Certification
- Certificate of Completion: Computational Social Science Research, City University of Hong Kong (2016)
Interests
Research
Persuasion and Social Influence; Intercultural Communication; Interpersonal Communication; Social Normative Message Effects and Message Processing
Teaching
Public Relations; Intercultural Communication; Interpersonal Communication; Persuasion; Research Methods; Communication Campaign Design and Analysis
Courses
2024-25 Courses
-
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Spring 2025) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Spring 2025) -
PR Campaigns
PR 421 (Spring 2025) -
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Fall 2024) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Fall 2024) -
PR Campaigns
PR 421 (Fall 2024) -
Research
COMM 900 (Fall 2024)
2023-24 Courses
-
Dissertation
COMM 920 (Spring 2024) -
Research
COMM 900 (Spring 2024) -
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Winter 2023) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Winter 2023) -
Dissertation
COMM 920 (Fall 2023) -
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Fall 2023) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Fall 2023) -
PR Campaigns
PR 421 (Fall 2023) -
Research
COMM 900 (Fall 2023)
2022-23 Courses
-
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Summer I 2023) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Summer I 2023) -
Cultural/Intercultural Comm
COMM 696C (Spring 2023) -
Dissertation
COMM 920 (Spring 2023) -
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Spring 2023) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Spring 2023) -
Research
COMM 900 (Spring 2023) -
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Winter 2022) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Winter 2022) -
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Fall 2022) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Fall 2022) -
PR Campaigns
PR 421 (Fall 2022) -
PR Campaigns
PR 521 (Fall 2022) -
Research
COMM 900 (Fall 2022)
2021-22 Courses
-
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Summer I 2022) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Summer I 2022) -
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Spring 2022) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Spring 2022) -
PR Campaigns
PR 421 (Spring 2022) -
Research
COMM 900 (Spring 2022) -
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Fall 2021) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Fall 2021) -
PR Campaigns
PR 421 (Fall 2021) -
Research
COMM 900 (Fall 2021)
2020-21 Courses
-
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Summer I 2021) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Summer I 2021) -
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Spring 2021) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Spring 2021) -
PR Campaigns
PR 421 (Spring 2021) -
Research
COMM 900 (Spring 2021) -
Thesis
COMM 910 (Spring 2021) -
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Winter 2020) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Winter 2020) -
Intro to PR
COMM 201 (Fall 2020) -
Intro to PR
PR 201 (Fall 2020) -
PR Campaigns
PR 421 (Fall 2020) -
Research
COMM 900 (Fall 2020)
2019-20 Courses
-
Comm + Public Relations
COMM 313 (Summer I 2020) -
Comm + Public Relations
PR 313 (Summer I 2020) -
Comm + Public Relations
COMM 313 (Spring 2020) -
Comm + Public Relations
PR 313 (Spring 2020) -
Independent Study
COMM 599 (Spring 2020) -
Research
COMM 900 (Spring 2020) -
Comm + Public Relations
COMM 313 (Fall 2019) -
Comm + Public Relations
PR 313 (Fall 2019)
Scholarly Contributions
Chapters
- Lapinski, M. K., Silk, K., Liu, R. W., & Totzkay, D. (2018). Models for environmental communication for unique populations : Cases from the field. In Environmental communication among minority populations(pp 6--27). Taylor and Francis.
- Liu, R. W., & Rynbrandt, M. (2018). Transformative intercultural communication programs that promote student integration. In Transformative student experiences in higher education: Meeting the needs of the twenty-first century student and modern workplace(pp 155--176). Rowman \& Littlefield.
Journals/Publications
- Liu, R. W., Lapinski, M. K., Kerr, J., Zhao, J., Tsering, B., & Lu, Z. (2022). Culturally derived measurement of social normative variables: The case of grassland conservation behaviors among Tibetan pastoralists. Frontiers in Communication. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2021.770513
- Cheng, Y., Liu, R. W., & Foerster, T. A. (2021). Predicting intentions to practice COVID-19 preventative behaviors in the United States: A test of the risk perception attitude framework and the theory of normative social behavior. Journal of Health Psychology, 1-19. doi:doi.org/10.1177/13591053211057382
- Fanari, A., Liu, R. W., & Foerster, T. A. (2021). Homesick or sick-of-home? Examining the effects of reverse culture shock on students’ self-disclosure after studying abroad. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 0, 1-31. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2020.1866643
- Lapinski, M. M., Liu, R. W., Kerr, J., Zhao, J., Tsering, B., & Lu, Z. (2021). Culture and social norms: Behavioral decisions about grassland conservation among ethnically-Tibetan pastoralists. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 1–22. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/17513057.2021.1916569More infoAccepted 28 Mar 2021, Published online: 04 May 2021
- Kahler, J., Liu, R. W., Newcomb, T., Herbst, S., & Gore, M. (2020). Public risk perceptions associated with Asian carp introduction and corresponding response actions. Management of Biological Invasions, 11(1), 80--95.
- Kerr, J. M., Bum, T., Lapinski, M. K., Liu, R. W., Lu, Z., & Zhao, J. (2019). The effects of social norms on motivation crowding: experimental evidence from the Tibetan Plateau. International Journal of the Commons, 13(1), 430--454.
- Lapinski, M. K., Liu, R. W., Kerr, J. M., Zhao, J., & Bum, T. (2019). Characterizing interpersonal influence for grassland conservation behaviors in a unique population. Environmental Communication, 13(5), 664--680.
- Boster, F. J., Liu, R. W., Cheng, Y., Kim, W., & Shaikh, S. J. (2018). The suasory force of sticky messages: An application to the application of sunscreen. Communication Studies, 69(1), 4--22.
- Meng, J., Peng, W., Tan, P., Liu, R. W., Cheng, Y., & Bae, A. (2018). Diffusion size and structural virality: The effects of message and network features on spreading health information on twitter. Computers in Human Behavior, 89, 111--120.
- Kerr, J. M., Lapinski, M. K., Liu, R. W., & Zhao, J. (2017). Long-term effects of payments for environmental services: Combining insights from communication and economics. Sustainability, 9(9), 1627.
- Shin, S. Y., Liu, R. W., Jang, J., & Bente, G. (2017). The benefits of distance and mediation: How people react to conflicts in video chat vs. FtF. Computers in Human Behavior, 73, 1--8.
- Boster, F. J., Liu, R. W., Poorisat, T., Cheng, Y., Kim, W., Salmon-Seidmann, N. D., & Salmon, C. T. (2016). Communicating to influence perceptions of social stigma: Implications for the use of signs by the homeless as a means of soliciting funds. American Behavioral Scientist, 60(11), 1293--1305.
- Liu, R. W., & Bresnahan, M. (2016). Cultural differences in perception of family obligation and request compliance in China and the US. Intercultural Communication Studies, 25(2), 111--130.
- Liu, R. W., Nelson, J. C., Pei, D. i., & Yang, Y. (2016). Embracing the opportunities ahead: An analysis of communication position announcements for 2013-2014. Communication Research Reports, 33(3), 259--264.
Presentations
- Cheng, Y., Liu, R. W., & Foerster, T. A. (2021, May). Predicting intentions to practice covid-19 preventative behaviors in the United States: A test of the risk perception attitude framework and the theory of normative social behavior. The 71st International Communication Association Annual Meeting. Online: ICA.
- Liu, R. W., & Foerster, T. A. (2021, Jan). Effective Communication Strategies on the Issue of Climate Change. Sustainable Tucson Workshop. Online: Sustainable Tucson.
- Liu, R. W., Cheng, Y., & Foerster, T. A. (2021, Nov). Testing the theory of normative social behavior in promoting COVID-19 preventative behaviors. The 107th National Communication Association Annual Meeting. Seattle, WA: The National Communication Association (NCA).More infoPreparing the manuscript for the Journal of Health Communication and NCA 2021
- Boster, F. J., Liu, R. W., Cheng, Y., Kim, W., & Shaikh, S. J. (2016, June). The suasory force of sticky messages: A case of asymmetric message effects. The 66th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. Fukuoka, Japan.
- Boster, F. J., Liu, R. W., Cheng, Y., Kim, W., & Shaikh, S. J. (2016, November). The suasory force of sticky messages: A application to the application of sunscreen. National Communication Association 102nd Annual Conference. Philadelphia, PA.
- Boster, F. J., Liu, R. W., Cheng, Y., Yan, X., & Townson, C. (2018, Nov). The suasory force of sticky messages: An replication and extension. The 104th National Communication Association Annual Meeting. Salt Lake City, UT.
- Boster, F., Thanomwong, P., Salmon, C. T., & Liu, R. W. (2015, November). Stigma and gaining compliance: The case of homelessness. National Communication Association 101st Annual Conference. Las Vegas, NV.
- Fanari, A., Liu, R. W., & Foerster, T. A. (2020, Nov). Homesick or sick-of-home? Examining the effects of reverse culture shock on students’ self-disclosure after studying abroad. The 106th National Communication Association Annual Meeting (virtual conference).
- Kerr, J., Bum, T., Lapinski, M., Liu, R. W., & Zhao, J. (2017, June). Social norms, conservation, and the long-term effects of short-term financial incentives. The United States Society for Ecological Economics 9th Biennial Conference. St. Paul, Minnesota.
- Kerr, J., Tsering, B., Lapinski, M., Liu, R. W., & Zhao, J. (2017, July). Social norms, financial incentives and motivation crowding: experimental evidence from the Tibetan Plateau. The 16th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons. Utrecht, Netherlands.
- Lapinski, M. K., Zhuang, J., Rimal, R. N., Yun, D., Viken, G., Liu, R. W., & Chung, M. (2015, May). Maverick or marine: Priming collective group orientation and response to normative information. The 65th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Lapinski, M., Liu, R. W., Kerr, J., Zhao, J., & Bum, T. (2016, November). Characterizing interpersonal influence for grassland conservation behaviors in a unique population. National Communication Association 102nd Annual Conference. Philadelphia, PA.More infoTop Paper Award in the Environmental Communication Division
- Lapinski, M., Liu, R. W., Kerr, J., Zhao, J., & Tsering, B. (2018, May). Culture and social norms: Behavioral decisions about grassland conservation among ethnically-Tibetan pastoralists. The 68th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. Prague, Czech Republic.
- Lee, G. D., & Liu, R. W. (2020, May). Parent’s verbal mediation for children’s internet use. The 70th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. Online.
- Liu, R. W. (2013, November). Conflict management styles in romantic relationships between Chinese and American college students. National Communication Association 99th Annual Conference. Washington D.C.
- Liu, R. W. (2013, November). Cultural differences in obligation and reciprocity in China and the US. National Communication Association 99th Annual Conference. Washington D.C.
- Liu, R. W. (2014, November). The influence of social norms and outcome expectations on behavioral decision making: A cross-cultural study. The 2nd Annual Research Symposium of Environmental Science and Policy Program. East Lansing, MI.
- Liu, R. W., & Bresnahan, M. (2015, July). Cultural differences in perception of family obligation and request compliance in China and the U.S. The 21st International Conference of the International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies (IAICS). Hong Kong, China.More infoAs the winner of the Outstanding Paper Award & Outstanding Young Scholar Award
- Liu, R. W., & Bresnahan, M. (2015, May). Cultural differences in perception of family obligation and request compliance in China and the U.S.. The 65th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. San Juan, Puerto Rico: International Communication Association (ICA).
- Liu, R. W., & Bresnahan, M. (2017, May). A second look at family obligation and request compliance cross-culturally: Reciprocity versus relationship. The 67th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA.More infoTop Paper Award in the Intercultural Communication Division
- Liu, R. W., & Donohue, W. A. (2015, July). Promoting Communication between domestic and international students in the US: Effectiveness of an international buddy program. The 21st International Conference of the International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies (IAICS) cum the 11th Biennial International Conference of the China Association for Intercultural Communication (CAFIC). Hong Kong, China.
- Liu, R. W., & Gore, M. (2018, May). Exploring the human dimensions of Asian carp management in Michigan: Implications for wildlife related risk communication. The 68th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. Prague, Czech Republic.
- Liu, R. W., & Lapinski, M. (2017, May). The Influence of social norms on behaviors: Toward a culturally-based social normative approach. The 67th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA.More infoTop Paper Award in the Intercultural Communication Division
- Liu, R. W., & Lapinski, M. K. (2019, May). The Influence of injunctive social norms on food waste prevention behaviors: Toward a culturally-based social normative approach. The 69th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. Washington D.C..
- Liu, R. W., & Schroeder, J. A. (2020, Aug). Moving Forward, Life after Pandemic. UArizona Virtual Lecture Series. Online: The College of Science and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arizona.
- Liu, R. W., Carter, S. N., Strawser, M., & Smith, S. (2020, Nov). Thriving in a multigenerational workplace: Generational diversity as an emerging organizational culture and its impact on organizational communication patterns. The 106th National Communication Association Annual Meeting. Online: NCA.
- Liu, R. W., Lapinski, M. K., Kerr, J., Zhao, J., Tsering, B., & Lu, Z. (2020, May). Culturally derived measurement of social normative variables: The case of grassland conservation behaviors among Tibetan pastoralists. The 70th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. Online: ICA.
- Liu, R. W., Lee, G. D., Collis, C., & Tressel, K. (2018, Nov). Love better by fighting smarter: Romantic conflict management styles among intercultural couples and the influential factors in the choice of the styles. The 104th National Communication Association Annual Meeting. Salt Lake City, UT.
- Liu, R. W., Lee, G. D., Collis, C., Tressel, K., & Norton, A. (2019, May). The perceived effectiveness of executive leadership communication among management-level staff. The 69th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. Washington D.C..
- Liu, R. W., Nelson, J., Pei, D., & Yang, Y. (2015, November). Embracing the opportunities ahead: An analysis of communication position announcements. National Communication Association 101st Annual Conference. Las Vegas, NV.
- Meng, J., Peng, W., Tan, P., Liu, R. W., Cheng, Y., & He, X. (2016, November). The scale and the range of information transmission: The impacts of message and network features on spreading health messages in social media. National Communication Association 102nd Annual Conference. Philadelphia, PA.
- Nelson, J., Liu, R. W., Shin, S. Y., Viken, G., & Balogh, B. (2014, May). To catch a cheater: An exploratory analysis of confessions and denials. The 65th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Park, H. S., Choi, S. Y., Joo, H., Oh, J. Y., Liu, R. W., & Nelson, J. (2013, November). Perceived descriptive norms and unauthorized downloading. National Communication Association 99th Annual Conference. Washington D.C..
- Shin, S. Y., Liu, R. W., Jang, J., & Bente, G. (2015, June). Comparison between video chat and face-to-face interpersonal conflict. The 66th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. Fukuoka, Japan.
- Zhuang, J., Lapinski, M. K., Rimal, R., Liu, R. W., & Yun, D. (2015, June). Using normative information to influence collective-efficacy and behavioral decision-making about water conservation. The 66th International Communication Association Annual Meeting. Fukuoka, Japan.