Mary Leong joins the Bridge Research Consortium with over a decade of communications and stakeholder engagement experience in civic technology and health care.

Mary has long been interested in the intersections of social media, political polarization, and mis/disinformation. She holds a Master of Science in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics (LSE), where she explored the correlation between social media use and political polarization among U.S. youth on Tumblr. Recognizing the limitations of mainstream social media platforms, Mary then spent several years working with civic tech solutions designed to foster meaningful online dialogue.

She has shared her expertise on public trust and online stakeholder engagement at forums such as the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD) and the Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC). She has also contributed thought leadership pieces for organizations including SAP and Apolitical.