It all Begins with Good Communication…
Thats the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication’s motto at ASU, where I received my PhD in interpersonal communication in May of 2018. I have since been employed at Utah Tech University where I serve as an Assistant Professor, Assessment Coordinator, and Director of The Interpersonal Communication Curriculum.
My area of interest is interpersonal communication with a focus on relational development and trajectory. I use quantitative methods to help paint a better picture of the ways that people can develop, maintain and (if necessary) terminate their relationships.
I currently have two main programs of research. The first (my dissertation topic) concerns the ways in which the social networks of a couple generate uncertainty and/or influence the nature of that relationship. Second, I look to explore how non-romantic sexual relationships/experiences function (i.e., differ or remain similar to “traditional” relationships). These areas of interest have lead me to collaborations with over a dozen graduate students and faculty members – I look forward to extending that list!
I’m not sure when I started to love the academic life so much, but if I had to pick a time period it would be when I moved to Arizona. I cannot stress enough how helpful, loving, and supportive all of the friends that I made at ASU were and are to me. They taught me to humble myself and to be okay with vulnerability. Most of all, they made me a more empathetic soul. I try to pass that on as a mentor and a teacher.
