Hi! I'm Emerson Johnston (she/her), a policy researcher at Stanford University. I currently work as a research assistant at the Hoover Institution’s Technology Policy Accelerator, where I'm a member of our new Tech Futures Lab and lead research on the talent ecosystems that underpin U.S.'s and China's relative success in emerging technologies. I'm also the communications and membership coordinator for the Association of Internet Researchers.

    My research sits at the intersection of platform studies and political sociology. I'm interested in how digital infrastructures (mainly recommendation algorithms and content moderation systems at the moment, but also platform architectures more broadly) shape identity, community formation, and political life. I also study the historical evolution of digital communication, from early internet networks to contemporary social media, asking how past technological transitions can inform our understanding of current sociotechnical change. My work has been published by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, Dialogues on Digital Society, and Computers in Human Behavior Reports. I've also been lucky enough to present my work at conferences including the American Sociological Association's Annual Meeting, the National Communication Association's Annual Meeting, and the International Network for Social Network Analysis' Sunbelt Conference, among others.

    As of 2026, I am currently on leave from Stanford University's M.A. program in the History of Science, Technology, Environment, and Medicine. There, my thesis examines how institutional and historical legacies have shaped the framing of the internet as a telecommunications system rather than a civic or social space. Previously, I received a B.S. in 'Politics, Philosophy, and Economics' and in 'History, Culture, and Law', summa cum laude, from Northeastern University, and an M.A. in International Policy from Stanford, where I am a Knight-Hennessy Scholar.

    In a past life, I also served for five years in the U.S. Army Reserve as a 38B Civil Affairs Specialist, and spent two years working as a Political Officer for the U.S. Department of State. These experiences continue to inform my perspective on digital governance, diplomacy, and the evolving role of civic institutions in technological society.

    If you’re here and interested in my work, don’t be a stranger. I’m always happy to connect and collaborate!

While you're here...

# Check out and follow the custom feed I run on BlueSky that tracks developments and discussions on internet cultures, subcultures, and countercultures.

And for a laugh...

# Find out which subatomic particle you are with this cute persona quiz I made for my girlfriend (who's a particle physicist if that wasn't clear).

# Watch my 2024 N.O.B.E.L. (not official but exceedingly ludacris) theories night presentation about the birth lottery and overlooked factors in academic success.