Research Interests

I study dilemmas of interpersonal conversation, an interest that began during my undergraduate years at Lewis and Clark.  My research explores how we accomplish interpersonal tasks (such as giving advice, gaining compliance, or expressing support) while simultaneously enacting valued identities and relational definitions.  Currently, I am studying these issues in couples in which one person is coping with a chronic health condition such as heart disease or cancer. For example:

• How can you encourage your partner to exercise or eat a healthful diet without sounding like a nag?
• How do couples talk about fears related to illness and treatments?
• Under what conditions is social support from friends and family helpful in coping with illness?

Teaching

The courses I teach address the intersections of interpersonal interaction, media, and rhetoric. 

• RHMS 270 Interpersonal Media engages students in an exploration of whether and how basic interpersonal communication processes change when we interact through mediated channels. 
• RHMS 332 Rhetoric of Gender in Relationships examines the rhetoric surrounding gender differences in interpersonal relationships. 
• RHMS 352 Gender in Public Rhetoric and Mass Media uses tools of feminist rhetorical criticism to understand gender in public discourse.  
• RHMS 420 Health Narratives teaches students how to use narrative theory and method to understand the stories we tell about health and illness.

Academic Credentials

Ph.D. 1990, M.A. 1988 University of Washington, B.S. 1986 Lewis & Clark College