Hi, I am Aysar Yahya, a PhD student in Public Relations and Advertising at Anadolu University in Türkey, with a dedicated focus on the intersection of communication, advertising, privacy, and computational social science.

My research interests center on digital privacy and the privacy paradox, responsible AI in advertising, and the ethical design of usable privacy solutions. I am especially passionate about applying computational social science methods to understand and improve communication strategies in an increasingly data-driven world.

I hold an MA in Public Relations and Advertising from Anadolu University, where my master’s thesis explored The Effect of Disclosure on Influencer Avoidance in Influencer Ads. Currently, I am a doctoral scholarship holder supported by the prestigious Turkish Government Scholarship (Türkiye Bursları), awarded for my PhD studies.

In May 2025, I had the privilege of participating in the Summer Institute in Computational Social Science (SICSS) at Carnegie Mellon University (SICSS_CMU 2025). This intensive program brought together an interdisciplinary group of scholars to explore advanced methods and applications at the intersection of social science and computational techniques. During the institute, I received hands-on training in computational methods such as text analysis, network analysis, Shiny Dashboard development, and topic modeling while collaborating with fellow participants on research projects that addressed real-world social questions using large-scale data. This experience deepened my understanding of how computational tools can advance empirical research and reinforced my commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical data use, and transparency.

My scholarly work includes peer-reviewed publications such as Revealing the hidden: The effect of advertisement disclosure on heavy and light Instagram users’ influencer avoidance (Journal of Marketing Communications, 2024) and an ongoing co-authored article on privacy in advertising currently under review in a leading journal. I am also engaged in a funded research project on privacy in advertising supported by Anadolu University.

Beyond my academic activities, I bring professional experience in media and public relations management, customer service, and volunteer outreach. These roles have shaped my understanding of communication practice in diverse contexts and strengthened my commitment to strategic thinking, public speaking, intercultural competence, and ethical communication.

I am fluent in Arabic (native), Turkish (C1), English (B2), and I bring intercultural awareness to all of my projects. I am always eager to collaborate with fellow researchers, students, and industry partners interested in the evolving relationship between advertising, technology, and privacy.