Gabriel E. Hales

(he/him)

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Gabriel has a Ph.D. in Information and Media (2026) from the Department of Media and Information, College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University. Following the completion of his Doctorate, Gabe has accepted a post-doctoral position in Europe (to begin fall 2026) to advance his research on the relationship between internet use and society. He continues to work closely with the Quello Center as a Research Fellow, publishing alongside his doctoral advisor, Dr. Keith Hampton.

Gabe’s research investigates how access, use, and skills related to the Internet and digital technology can enhance or constrain social and academic outcomes, and how they interact with face-to-face networks and resources. This work is primarily framed by digital inequality. His methodological experience includes advanced statistical analysis (SPSS, Mplus, Stata, R), in-depth qualitative interviewing techniques, and the creation and implementation of survey research. He has likewise taught or co-caught undergraduate lectures and graduate (MA) seminar courses.

His doctoral dissertation (2026) focused on cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of how youth access and mobilize the digital context for development, and for the creation of human and social capital (e.g., academic achievement, aspirations, social networks, in-person interaction). Prior to his Doctorate, Gabriel completed his Master of Arts (2021) and Bachelor of Arts (2020) in Media and Information at Michigan State University.

Experience

  • 2022–2026
    Research fellow, Quello Center, Michigan State University
  • 2022–2025
    Graduate Researcher, The Quello Center
  • 2023–2025
    Ph.D. Candidate, Michigan State University

Education

  • 2026 
    Ph.D. in Information and Media, Michigan State University
  • 2021 
    M.A. in Media and Information, Michigan State University
  • 2020 
    B.A. in Communication Arts and Sciences, Michigan State University

Publications

  • 2025
    Openness to the Metaverse Workplace: Zoom Fatigue and Metaverse Information Seeking Mediate Gender Inequities, Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies
  • 2025
    Rethinking Screen Time and Academic Achievement: Gender Differences and the Hidden Benefit of Online Leisure Through Digital Skills, Information, Communication & Society
  • 2025
    CASA Renovations: Examining Social Responses to an Anthropomorphic Media Representative that is Separate from the Core Technology Being Represented, Human-Machine Communication
  • 2024
    An Avatar’s worth in the metaverse workplace: Assessing predictors of avatar customization valuation, Computers in Human Behavior
  • 2023
    Broadband and Student Performance Gaps After the COVID-19 Pandemic, Quello Center, Report
  • 2022
    A New Meta-Analysis of the Proteus Effect: Studies in VR Find Stronger Effect Sizes, PRESENCE

Contact Gabriel for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration
  • Research supervision