Alex P. Leith, PhD
01 — About

Alex P.
Leith, PhD

Associate Professor (Tenured) of Mass Communications  ·  Director, SIM Lab @ SIUE

I am a computational social scientist and behavioral researcher studying social platforms, online communities, and the humans who use them. My work spans parasocial relationships, VR/XR environments, trust & safety, and digital well-being — with over a decade of experience designing mixed-methods studies, engineering large-scale data pipelines (300M+ records), and translating behavioral insights into actionable recommendations. As Director of the SIM Lab at SIUE and Co-PI on a $1.6M NSF initiative, I bridge rigorous academic research with the practical demands of product teams, platform policy, and data science.

apleith SIM Lab Download CV
02

Employment

Tenured Associate Professor and Director of the SIM Lab at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. I teach graduate and undergraduate courses in research methods, data analytics, social media analytics, and web design — and lead a research lab where students gain hands-on experience in computational methods, mixed-methods design, and behavioral data science. I also hold an active portfolio of externally funded research projects through the NSF and international collaborators.

2025
Now

Associate Professor (Tenured) / Director, SIM Lab

SIU Edwardsville — Mass Communications
Aug 2025 – Present
2019
2025

Assistant Professor (Tenure-track)

SIU Edwardsville — Mass Communications
Aug 2019 – Jul 2025
2012
2017

Graduate Associate

Michigan State University
Sep 2012 – May 2017
2010
2012

Graduate Associate

SIU Edwardsville
Aug 2010 – May 2012
2011
2012

Adjunct Instructor

St. Louis College of Pharmacy · McKendree University · SIUE
Aug 2011 – May 2012
2008
2009

Marketing Manager

BYU-Idaho
Aug 2008 – Aug 2009
03

Education

Doctor of Philosophy
Michigan State University
Information and Media
Master of Arts
SIU Edwardsville
Speech Communication
Bachelor of Science
BYU-Idaho
Communication
04

Skills

Data Science

RStudio PostgreSQL GitHub Python

Data Visualization

RStudio Tableau Illustrator

3D & VR Design

Unity Blender

Web Design

HTML5 CSS3 JavaScript Bootstrap

Print Design

Photoshop Illustrator InDesign

Broadcast Media

Premiere Audition

Research Methods

Survey Design A/B Testing Mixed Methods Experimental Design Longitudinal Analysis Structural Topic Modeling SEM Qualtrics

Machine Learning & NLP

Sentiment Analysis Text Classification NLP Scikit-learn NLTK Regression Modeling User Segmentation Local LLMs (Ollama)

Platform & Safety Analytics

Twitch API Steam Data VR Telemetry Hate Speech Detection Harassment Typologies Log Analysis Trust & Safety Community Governance
05

Projects

The Cage

TypeScript / Next.js

A web application for broadcast engineering students at SIUE to reserve and manage production equipment. Built for the SIM Lab to streamline equipment checkout and reduce scheduling conflicts in the Mass Communications department.

GitHub

Vibes to Variables

Open Textbook

An open-access field guide to Open Media Science — a living textbook covering research methods, data analysis, and scientific communication for mass communications students. Designed to make rigorous research methods approachable and practical.

GitHub

Liaison Program

SCSS / R

Course website and R coursework package for MC 451 (Research Methods in Mass Media) and MC 501. Combines the coursepackR R library with an Obsidian-powered course vault and lesson site, delivering a fully integrated research methods curriculum.

liaison-program coursepackR

Open WebUI / DeepSeek

Python / Docker

A one-click launcher for Open WebUI with DeepSeek-R1 via Docker and Ollama, alongside a monorepo of research-focused tools built on local LLMs. Designed to support open media science workflows without cloud dependency or proprietary API costs.

open-webui-launcher DeepSeek Monorepo

MC Careers Dashboard

Svelte

A career exploration dashboard for Mass Communications students at SIUE. Built with Svelte to help students visualize career pathways, explore job categories, and understand opportunities in the evolving media industry landscape.

GitHub

Research Tools

Python / R

A collection of research data tools: a PostgreSQL-backed Twitch chat logger used in dissertation research on parasocial relationships, an R analysis of Hate Raids examining targeted harassment on livestreaming platforms, and a banned-word checker for validating documents against prohibited term lists.

dissertation_logger hate-raids banned-word-checker
06

Grants & Funding

NSF FW-HTF-R Completed

Virtual Meeting Support for Enhanced Well-Being and Equity for Game Developers

$1,599,851
National Science Foundation  ·  2021–2025
Co-Principal Investigator
NSF Future CoRe (HCC) Pending

Distributed AI Agents for Scalable Interaction Modeling and Feedback Aggregation in Technical Learning

$496,521
National Science Foundation  ·  2026–2030
Principal Investigator
Wellcome Trust Pending

AI- and IoT-Driven Innovations for Malaria and Insect Vector Surveillance and Control

$800,044
University of Zambia collaboration  ·  2026–2030
Co-Investigator — SIUE Lead
NSF Collaborative Research Pending

Improving Equity and Well-Being in Virtual Classrooms via AI-Enhanced Avatars

$49,999
National Science Foundation  ·  2025–2028
Principal Investigator — SIUE Site
07

Research

Books & OER

  • Leith, A. P. (2024). Quantitative research in mass communications: R and RStudio. Bookdown (Open Educational Resource). Available via the SIM Lab at SIUE.
  • Fordham, J., Leith, A. P., & Ratan, R. A. (2017). League of Legends: Summoning a league of their own. In J. Banks, R. Mejia, & A. Adams (Eds.), 100 greatest video game franchises (pp. 102–104). Rowan & Littlefield.
  • Leith, A. P., & Fordham, J. (2017). Assassin's Creed: Leap of faith through historiophoty. In J. Banks, R. Mejia, & A. Adams (Eds.), 100 greatest video game franchises (pp. 11–12). Rowan & Littlefield.
  • Leith, A. P., & Ratan, R. A. (2017). Super Smash Bros.: Fight with the one that brung ya. In J. Banks, R. Mejia, & A. Adams (Eds.), 100 greatest video game franchises (pp. 178–180). Rowan & Littlefield.

Journal Publications

  • Douzek, D., Foxman, M., Lim, C., & Leith, A.P. (2025). Balancing fun and professionalism in game development: The dark and light side of play in virtual meetings. Frontiers in Communication, 10.
  • Leith, A.P., Lim, C., Foxman, M., Beyea, D., & Jeong, D.C. (2025). Stress and coping in VRChat: A mixed-method case study of the use of VRChat as a coping tool during the COVID-19 pandemic. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 20(100843). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100843
  • Beyea, D., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., Klebig, B., Leith, A. P., & Chen, V. H. H. (2025). Metaverse-mediated communication: A call for theory-driven XR research [Editorial]. Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 37(2), 61–63. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000465
  • Beyea, D., Lim, C., Lover, A., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., & Leith, A. P. (2025). Zoom fatigue in review: A meta-analytical examination of videoconferencing fatigue's antecedents. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 17(100571). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100571
  • Lim, C., Leith, A. P., Ratan, R., & Bouzek, D. (2025). Meeting needs: How social interaction anxiety, zoom fatigue, relatedness, and demographics predict virtual meeting feature preferences. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 18, 100673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100673
  • Lim, C., Ratan, R., Foxman, M., Beyea, D., Jeong, D., & Leith, A. P. (2025). Examining attitudes about the virtual workplace: Associations between Zoom fatigue, impression management, and virtual meeting adoption intent. PLOS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312354
  • Ratan, R. A., Lin, Q., Lim, C., Park, R., Lover, A., Han, E., Jang, D., Leith, A. P., & Bailenson, J. N. (2025). Time matters in VR: Students benefit from longer VR class duration, but certain outcomes decline after 45 minutes, with large individual variance. Computers & Education, 14(3), 466–477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105328
  • Foxman, M., Beyea, D., Leith, A.P., Ratan, R. A., Chen, V. H. H., & Klebig, B. (2022). Beyond genre: Classifying virtual reality experiences. IEEE Transactions on Games, 14(3), 466–477. https://doi.org/10.1109/TG.2021.3119521
  • Leith, A. P., & Gheen, E. (2022). Twitch in the time of quarantine: The role of engagement in needs fulfillment. Psychology of Popular Media, 11(3), 275–280. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000372
  • Leith, A. P. (2021). Parasocial cues: The ubiquity of parasocial relationships on Twitch. Communication Monographs, 88, 111–129. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2020.1868544
  • Ratan, R., Fordham, J., Leith, A. P., & Williams, D. (2019). Women keep it real: Avatar gender choice in League of Legends. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 22, 254–257.
  • DeGroot, J. M., & Leith, A. P. (2018). R.I.P. Kutner: Parasocial grief following the death of a television character. OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying, 77, 199–216. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222815600450
  • Leith, A. P., Ratan, R. A., & Wohn, D. Y. (2016). The (de)evolution of evolution games: Analyzing the accuracy of evolution depiction in video games. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25, 655–664. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-016-9620-x

Conference Proceedings

  • Lim, C., Leith, A. P., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., & Klebig, B. (2025, January). The Hyperpersonal Model of Communication in virtual meetings: Exploring the roles of fatigue, social interaction anxiety, muting, and avatar use in meeting engagement. Proceedings of the 58th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. [PDF]
  • Milik, O., Jang, D., Foxman, M., Klebig, B., Bayea, D., Leith, A. P., & Ratan, R. (2024, November). Focusing on virtual groups: A method for focus group interviews in XR/VR group settings. AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research, 2024.
  • Foxman, M., Bouzek, D., Lim, C., Ratan, R., Klebig, B., Leith, A. P., & Beyea, D. (2024, July). Making a virtual playground: Values-based game design in meeting platforms. DiGRA 2024: Playgrounds. [PDF]
  • Lim, C., Foxman, M., Leith, A. P., Meshi, D., & Ratan, R. (2024, July). Wanting playfulness to counter fatigue from virtual meetings. DiGRA 2024: Playgrounds. [PDF]
  • Foxman, M., Bouzek, D., Ratan, R. A., & Leith, A. P. (2023, June). Virtually Limited: Boundaries of play in virtual reality production. DiGRA 2023: Limits and Margins of Games. [PDF]
  • Leith, A. P., Foxman, M., Onuche, M., Ratan, R., & Lim, C. (2023, June). Mixed feelings and realities: Joyful to nauseating sentiments about VR on Twitter. DiGRA 2023: Limits and Margins of Games. [PDF]
  • Foxman, M., Leith, A. P., Beyea, D., Klebig, B., Chen, V. H. H., & Ratan, R. (2020, November). Virtual reality genres: Comparing preferences in immersive experiences and games. CHI PLAY '20. https://doi.org/10.1145/3383668.3419881
  • Leith, A. P. (2018, October). Playing games for others: Constructing a gameplay livestreaming taxonomy. In R. Ratan, B. Winn, & E. LaPensée (Eds.), Proceedings of Meaningful Play 2018 (pp. 372–379). ETC Press. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/9995969.v1

Conference Presentations

  • Leith, A. P., Lim, C., Foxman, M., Beyea, D., & Jeong, D. (2025, June). Stress and coping in VRChat. ICA 75th Annual Conference. Denver, CO.
  • Leith, A. P., Foxman, M., Lim, C., & Beyea, D. (2025, June). What ASD finds in VRChat: The potential for VR to address communication barriers. ICA 75th Annual Conference. Denver, CO.
  • Mlikik, O., Ratan, R., Chen, V., Swati, S., Foxman, M., & Leith, A. P. (2025, June). Looking beyond meet space: Presenting a research platform in VRChat. ICA 75th Annual Conference. Denver, CO.
  • Beyea, D., Lim, C., Lover, A., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., & Leith, A. P. (2024, June). Zoom fatigue? A meta-analytical examination of videoconferencing fatigue antecedents. ICA 74th Annual Conference. Gold Coast, QLD.
  • Foxman, M., Bouzek, D., Lim, C., & Leith, A. P. (2024, June). Playing from home: Identity, cohesion, and communication for remote game makers. ICA 74th Annual Conference. Gold Coast, QLD.
  • Lim, C., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., Beyea, D., Jeong, D., & Leith, A. P. (2024, June). Touch-up my Zoom fatigue. ICA 74th Annual Conference. Gold Coast, QLD.
  • Foxman, M., Leith, A. P., Ratan, R., & Bouzek, D. (2023, May). Playfully virtual: Finding authentic communication in videoconferencing. ICA 73rd Annual Conference. Toronto, ON.
  • Leith, A. P., Foxman, M., Onuche, M., & Bouzek, D. (2023, May). Diffusion of gratification: The reception of VR as a modality for remote work and meetings. ICA 73rd Annual Conference. Toronto, ON.
  • Leith, A. P., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., & Lim, C. (2023, May). Feelings for meetings: A sentiment analysis of videoconferencing platforms a year apart. ICA 73rd Annual Conference. Toronto, ON.
  • Foxman, M., Leith, A. P., Sulzdorf-Liszkiewicz, A., Beyea, D., Klebig, B., Graciano, L., Bouzek, D., & Ratan, R. A. (2022, October). Playing at work: Finding and designing play into virtual meetings. Meaningful Play 2022. East Lansing, MI.
  • Foxman, M., Beyea, D. G., Leith, A. P., Ratan, R. A., Chen, V. H. H., & Klebig, B. (2021, May). Hardly just hardware: Understanding games and genres in virtual reality experiences. ICA 71st Annual Conference. Virtual.
  • Leith, A. P. (2020, May). When watching isn't enough: Human agents and their influence of gameplay through synchronous chat. ICA 70th Annual Conference. Gold Coast, AUS.
  • Leith, A. P. (2019, August). The affective messaging of gameplay livestream viewers. DiGRA 2019. Kyoto, Japan.
  • Leith, A. P. (2018, October). Giving you your space: Examining gamespace expandability. Meaningful Play 2018. East Lansing, MI.
  • Leith, A. P. (2015, November). Busking on a digital pitch: Investigating Internet-based gameplay broadcasting. NCA 101st Annual Convention. Las Vegas, NV.
  • Leith, A. P. (2015, November). Understanding the implications of uses and gratifications in gameplay viewing. NCA 101st Annual Convention. Las Vegas, NV.
  • Boehmer, J. H., & Leith, A. P. (2015, March). Tweeting the World Cup: Soccer teams' use of dialogic communication during the 2014 World Cup. Eighth Summit on Communication and Sport. Charlotte, NC.
  • Leith, A. P. (2014, November). Learning to play: Academic impacts of digital gameplay among disadvantaged African American students. NCA 100th Annual Conference. Chicago, IL.
  • Huang, T. K., Cotton, S. R., & Leith, A. P. (2014, May). The impact of emotional costs on students' IT use and academic performance. ICA 64th Annual Conference. Seattle, WA.
  • Leith, A. P. (2013, June). A more accessible celebrity: A case for parasocial interactions with YouTube personalities. IAMCR 2013 Conference. Dublin, Ireland.