Education:
Ph.D. - University of Kansas, Communication Studies
Emphases: Interpersonal Communication, Family Communication, Communication and New Technology, Quantitative Methods
M.A. - University of Kansas, Communication Studies
Emphases: Interpersonal Communication, Communication and New Technology
B.S. - Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL (summa cum laude)
Majors: Communication; Computer Science
Professional experience:
- Assistant Professor, Ohio University, School of Communication Studies: Sept. 2007-Present
- Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Kansas, Department of Communication Studies: August 2002-May 2007
- Adjunct Instructor, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Wesleyan Advantage Program: Summer 2005
Publications: Articles published or forthcoming in Communication Monographs, Human Communication Research, Personal Relationships, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, New Media & Society, The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, Information Communication & Society, Social Science Computer Review, Communication Studies, and Journal of Family Communication. In addition to instructional material and a book review, authored reflection piece in NCA's graduate student handbook.
Selected Awards and Honors:
- Recognized for Outstanding Service to Graduate Students in COMS at Ohio University (spring 2008).
- Competitively selected to attend inaugural CSCA Master Class for Young Scholars (2008) conducted by Dr. Steve Duck.
- Received Kim Giffin Award for excellence in independent graduate student research, Department of Communication Studies, University of Kansas.
- Received William A. Conboy Graduate Student Leadership Award, Department of Communication Studies, University of Kansas.
- Received several Top Paper awards at recent meetings of the National Communication Association and Central States Communication Association.
Research Interests: I am chiefly interested in how dyads and families use communication technologies to maintain their relationships. Within this domain, particular research foci include sex differences, nonverbal communication usage, and relational maintenance behaviors in online environments. A secondary area of research interest is the association between family communication behaviors and children's well-being outcomes.
Teaching Interests: I have taught courses on interpersonal communication, group communication, and communication research methods. I taught an advanced graduate seminar in structural equation modeling during the Winter 2009 quarter and a junior-level course on interpersonal conflict management during Summer 2009. During the 2009-2010 school year, I will be preparing and teaching the introductory quantitative research methods course in our doctoral program, as well as both graduate- and undergraduate-level courses in computer-mediated communication.