Amber Tierney

University of California, Irvine

Biography

Amber Tierney is a doctoral candidate in the School of Social Sciences (Sociology) at the University of California-Irvine and researcher for the Digital Media and Learning Hub at UCI. She also holds MA’s in Political Science and Policy Analysis.

Amber’s research focuses on how the media, policy, and technology mediate social change via collective action. Her work takes a mixed-methods approach, ranging from applications of innovative mixed-methods strategies to comparative-historical research design strategies.

Her dissertation work examines how policies leave lasting path-dependent effects, which bind future collective action attempts and influence political behavior, media coverage, and cultural outcomes. She is also currently working on additional projects that explore the role of technology and media in social change such as the movement to diversify the Independent Video Game scene.

As an educator, Amber is committed to engaging research and pedagogical practice that creates opportunities to apply what we learn from research toward creating positive change in our communities through policy and practice. In one example, Amber was involved in the implementation and evaluation of E-learning platforms at the University of California and served as one of the lead graduate assistants in the UCI Canvas Pilot Project – an initiative to integrate, overhaul, and strengthen the existing e-learning online instruction platform.