Spring 2017 Doctoral Graduates Photo Credit: Aida Gonzalez
2017-2019 Graduates
Doctoral Student: Dr. Theodore Albiniak
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Josh Gunn (Rhetoric & Language)
Plant Figurations: A Vital Study in Rhetorical Address Following Theodor W. Adorno
Doctoral Student: Dr. Joseph Brentlinger
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric & Language)
On Content: Busking in the Digital Age
Doctoral Student: Dr. Robert Carroll
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Anita Vangelisti (Interpersonal)
Coming Out(Comes): Analyzing Coming Out Messages in a Familial Context
Doctoral Student: Dr. Sohyun Choi
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Talia Stroud (Rhetoric & Language/Political Communication)
Anatomy of Emotions in Politics: The Role of Discrete Emotions in Political Information Search and Participation
Doctoral Student: Dr. Alex Curry
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Talia Stroud (Rhetoric & Language/Political Communication)
Major League Sports Teams as Storytellers: A Communication Infrastructure Perspective
Doctoral Student: Dr. Jane Haas Damron
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Erin Donovan (Interpersonal)
A Qualitative Exploration of Daughters' Reports of Supportive and Unsupportive Responses from their Mothers during the Transition from College to Career
Doctoral Student: Dr. Tasha Ford Davis
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Dawna Ballard (Org Comm & Technology)
A Temporal Perspective on Flexible Careers: Reconciling Multiple Perspectives, Levels of Analysis, and Time Scales
Doctoral Student: Dr. Seth Frei
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Keri Stephens (Org Comm & Technology)
Changing Careers: How Newcomers Seek Information in Three Types of Career Transitions
Doctoral Student: Dr. Matthew Ingram
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Jürgen Streeck (Rhetoric & Language)
The Mimesis of Character in Political Rally Speeches: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential Campaign
Doctoral Student: Dr. Sakina Jangbar
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rick Cherwitz (Rhetoric & Language)
Rhetorical Silence: An Emerging Genre
Doctoral Student: Dr. Dron Mandhana
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Dawna Ballard (Org Comm & Technology)
Unplanned Conversations at Work
Doctoral Student: Dr. Thomas McVey
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Dawna Ballard (Org Comm & Technology)
Balancing Personalities and Perspectives Among Cross-Functional Project Teams: A Narrative Analysis of Interactions and Work Handoffs from the Viewpoints of Different Activity Cycles
Doctoral Student: Dr. Melissa Murphy
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Joshua Barbour (Org Comm & Technology)
Startup Storytelling: An Analysis of Narrative In Rewards and Equity Based Crowdfunding Campaigns
Doctoral Student: Dr. Jaishikha Nautiyal
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Scott Stroud (Rhetoric & Language)
Quotidian Rhetoric: An Impasse of Deweyan Aesthetics and Affective Encounters
Doctoral Student: Dr. Madeleine Redlick
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Anita Vangelisti (Interpersonal)
Beyond the Eye of the Beholder: Perceived Gender Role Departure in Close Relationships
Doctoral Student: Dr. Marnie Ritchie
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Josh Gunn (Rhetoric & Language)
Diffuse Threats: US Counterterrorism as an Anxious Affective Infrastructure
Doctoral Student: Dr. Shawn Smith
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Michael Butterworth (Rhetoric & Language)
Black Economic Empowerment: Booker T. Washington and Rhetorical Intervention in Markets
Doctoral Student: Dr. William R. Smith
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Jeffrey Treem (Org Comm & Technology)
Communicative Elements of Fluid Collective Organizing
Doctoral Student: Dr. Mao-Chia Sun
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Anita Vangelisti (Interpersonal)
The Positive Side of Hurtful Communication: When Hurt Feelings Improve Close Relationships
Doctoral Student: Dr. Sarah Tardif
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Erin Donovan (Interpersonal)
The Experience of Uncertainty in Infertility
Doctoral Student: Dr. LaRae Tronstad
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Jeffrey Treem (Org Comm & Technology)
Defining the Communicative Work, Roles, and Inclusion in Patient- Majority Boards
Doctoral Student: Dr. Zhengyu (Tracy) Zhang
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Anita Vangelisti (Interpersonal)
The Role of Imagined Interaction in Individuals' Secret Revelations: A Focus on Targets' Anticipated Reactions
Doctoral Student: Dr. Yaguang Zhu
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Keri Stephens (Org Comm & Technology)
Participation in Online Health Communities and Perceived Social Support: Elaborating Participation Types, Identification, and Interpersonal Bonds
2016-2017 Graduates
Doctoral Student: Dr. Brandon Anderson
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rick Cherwitz (Rhetoric & Language)
The Enduring Legacy Of Lost Cause Discourses: A Generic Exploration Of Shared Identity And Collective Action In Movement Rhetoric
Doctoral Student: Dr. Kristen Farris
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Erin Donovan (Interpersonal)
The Impacts Of Recurring Supportive Interactions On Couples' Psychological, Relational, And Health Outcomes In The Context Of Rheumatic Diseases
Doctoral Student: Dr. Elizabeth Glowacki
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Jay Bernhardt (Interpersonal)
Tailored Texts: An Application Of Regulatory Fit To Text Messages Designed To Reduce High-Risk Drinking
Doctoral Student: Dr. Jenna Hanchey
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Josh Gunn (Rhetoric & Language)
Giving it Away: Rhetoric and Reflexivity in International Aid
Doctoral Student: Dr. Matthew Morris
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Josh Gunn (Rhetoric & Language)
Virtual Movements: Populist Rhetoric, Technology, And Hegemony
Doctoral Student: Dr. Emily Scheinfeld
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Erin Donvan (Interpersonal)
There's Something About Health: Understanding Everyday Talk About Health Within Families
Doctoral Student: Dr. Max Wartel
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Matt McGlone (Interpersonal)
Smoke Signals: Patterns of Agency Assignment in Smoking Initiation and Cessation Narratives
2015-2016 Graduates
Doctoral Student: Dr. Allison Alford
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Madeline Maxwell (Interpersonal)
Daughtering And Daughterhood: An Exploratory Study Of The Role Of Adult Daughters In Relation To Mothers
Doctoral Student: Dr. Lamiyah Bahrainwala
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric & Language)
Where Time & Style Collide: The Muslim In U.S. Discourse
Doctoral Student: Dr. Laura Barberena
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rod Hart (Rhetoric & Language)
Rhetorical Dimensions Of Movement Empathy: A Case Study Of The 2006 Immigration Marches
Doctoral Student: Dr. Ashley Barrett
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Keri Stephens (Organizational Communication and Technology)
Change Is Inevitable But Compliance Is Optimal: Co-Worker Social Influence And Behavioral Work-Arounds In The EHR Implementation Of Health Care Organizations
Doctoral Student: Dr. Jeff Birdsell
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Larry Browning (Organizational Communication and Technology)
Dogging It At Work: Developing And Performing Organizational Routines As A Minor League Baseball Mascot
Doctoral Student: Dr. Kate Blackburn
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Matt McGlone (Interpersonal)
The Narrative Arc: Exploring The Linguistic Structure Of Narrative
Doctoral Student: Dr. Laura Brown
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Erin Donovan (Interpersonal)
Modeling Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Patient Disclosures: An Exploration Of The Role Of Memorable Messages, Past Experiences, Perceived Visibility, Screening Behaviors, And Efficacy
Doctoral Student: Dr. Roy Christopher
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric & Language)
Allusions Of Grandeur: Figurative Language Use In Rap Lyrics
Doctoral Student: Dr. Jacob Ford
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Jeff Treem (Organizational Communication & Technology)
Managing Multiple (Dis) Identifications: Questioning The Desirability And Utility Of Identification In Volunteer Work
Doctoral Student: Dr. Jessica Ford
Dissertation Superivsor: Dr. Keri Stephens (Organizational Communication & Technology)
Am I In Danger Here? Incorporating Organizational Communication Into An Extended Model Of Risk Information Seeking At Work
Doctoral Student: Dr. Brittani Crook
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rene Dailey (Interpersonal)
Exploring Memorable Messages About The Misuse Of Prescription Stimulants: Predicting Behavioral Intention And Illicit Stimulant Use
Doctoral Student: Dr. Jessica Knapp
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rene Dailey (Interpersonal)
Perceived Effectiveness Of Grief Comforting Messages Moderated By Closeness
Doctoral Student: Dr. Robert Mack
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Josh Gunn (Rhetoric and Language)
The Boob Tube: Television, Object Relations, And The Rhetoric Of Projective Identification
Doctoral Student: Dr. Michael Moode
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Dawna Ballard (Organizational Communication & Technology)
Can Organizational Communication Strategies That Activate Associations With Mindfulness And Flow Enhance Novel-Idea Production In An Open- Ended Problem-Solving Task
Doctoral Student: Dr. Erin Nelson
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Erin Donovan (Interpersonal)
"I Have Cancer:" Understanding The Decision To Disclose To Family Members Using Their Theory Of Motivated Information Management
Doctoral Student: Dr. Angie Pastorek
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Larry Browning (Organizational Communication and Technology)
Organizational Exit Dynamics In Times Of Turbulence: Let Me Tell You The Story Of How My High Hopes Were Let Down
Doctoral Student: Dr. Cynthia Peacock
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Talia Stroud (Rhetoric & Language)
Talking Politics: Political Opinion Expression And Avoidance Across Conservative, Liberal, And Heterogeneous Groups
Doctoral Student: Dr. Danielle Pye
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Scott Stroud (Rhetoric & Language)
Eloquence In A New Key: Toward A Theory Of Presentational Communication
Doctoral Student: Dr. Kayla Rhidenour
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Josh Gunn (Rhetoric and Language)
The Mediated Veteran: How News Souces Narrate The Pain And Potential Of Returning Soldiers
Doctoral Student: Dr. Maegan Stephens
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Sharon Jarvis (Rhetoric & Language)
Trust Me: How The Gop Talked Americans Out Of Trusting
Doctoral Student: Dr. Kristin Stimpson
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric & Language)
Gentrification By Design: Rhetoric, Race, And Style In Neighborhood "Revitalization"
Doctoral Student: Dr. Emiko Taniguchi
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rene Dailey (Interpersonal)
Parental Confirmation And Emerging Adult Children's Body Image: Self-Concept And Social Competence As Mediators
Doctoral Student: Dr. Eric Waters
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Keri Stephens (Organizational Communication & Technology)
The Language Of Legitimacy: The Role Of Institutionalism In Entrepreneurial Discourse
Doctoral Student: Dr. Heba-T-Allah Wagdi Zeid
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Larry Browning (Organizational Communication & Technology)
The Zone Of Narrative Safety: Between Agency And Authenticity
2014 Graduates
Doctoral Student: Dr. Joseph Faina
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric & Language)
New Media Is A Joke: Tracing Irony, Satire, And Remediation In Online Discourse
Doctoral Student: Dr. Joseph McGlynn
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Matthew McGlone (Interpersonal)
Don't Tell Me Who To Blame: Persuasive Effects Of Implicit Arguments In Obesity Messages On Attributions Of Responsibility And Policy Support
Doctoral Student: Dr. John Thompson
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric & Language)
Voices Of Pluralist Democracy: A Rhetorical Framework Of Unity And Difference
Doctoral Student: Dr. Josh Scacco
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Talia Stroud (Rhetoric & Language)
Presidential Prediction: The Strategic Construction And Influence Of Expectation Frames
Doctoral Student: Dr. Mary Anne Taylor
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric & Language)
She The People: Personal Politics And Feminist Advocacy As The Democratic Ideal
Doctoral Student: Dr. Stephanie Dailey
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Keri Stephens (Organizational Comm and Technology)
What Happens Before Full-Time Employment? Internships As A Mechanism Of Anticipatory Socialization
Doctoral Student: Dr. Leah LeFebvre
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rene Dailey (Interpersonal)
Examining Individual And Joint Sense-Making In Stressful Relational Narratives
Doctoral Student: Dr. Emily Richardson
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Madeline Maxwell (Interpersonal)
Communication Challenges In Family Violence Court: An Ethnography Of Protective Order Hearings
2013 Graduates
Doctoral Student: Dr. Tatsuya Imai
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rene Dailey (Interpersonal)
The Influence Of Stigma Of Mental Illnesses On Decoding And Encodting Of Verbal And Nonverbal Messages
Doctoral Student: Dr. Lynsey Kluever Romo
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rene Dailey (Interpersonal)
"In This Day And Age, You Just Don't Know": An Examination Of How People In Romantic Relationships Use Communication To Manage Financial Uncertainty
Doctoral Student: Dr. Preeti Mudliar
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Larry Browning (Organizational Comm and Technology)
The Curiosities Of Participation: A Village's Practice Of Participatory Governance
Doctoral Student: Dr. Andrew Tollison
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Matt McGlone (Interpersonal)
Stereotype Threat In Male Nurse-Patient Interactions
Doctoral Student: Dr. Clariza Ruiz de Castilla
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric and Language)
Citizenship Constructions: Rhetoric, Immigration, And Arizona's Sb1070
Doctoral Student: Dr. Nicholas Brody
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Anita Vangelisti (Interpersonal)
Bystander Intervention In Cyberbullying
Doctoral Student: Dr. Colene Lind
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rod Hart (Rhetoric and Language)
The Common Style In American Politics: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Ordinary, Exceptional Leadership
Doctoral Student: Dr. Ashley Mack
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. (Rhetoric and Language)
Disciplining Mommy: Rhetorics Of Reproduction In Contemporary Maternity Culture
Doctoral Student: Dr. Tiara Na’puti
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. (Rhetoric and Language)
Charting Contemporary Chamoru Activism: Anti-Militarization & Social Movements In Guahan
Doctoral Student: Dr. Sean Tiffee
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Joshua Gunn (Rhetoric and Language)
Trauma And The Rhetoric Of Horror Films: The Rise Of Torture Porn In A Post Nine-Eleven World
Doctoral Student: Dr. Charee Mooney Thompson
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Anita Vangelisti (Interpersonal)
What Happens When The Standard For Openness Goes Unmet In Romantic Relationships?: Cross-Sectionall And Longitudinal Analyses Of Stress, Coping, And Individual And Relationship Consequences
Doctoral Student: Dr. Nicholas Merola
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Matt McGlone (Interpersonal)
We Like People Who Are Easy To Read: The Influence Of Processing Fluency In Impression Formation
Doctoral Student: Dr. Ashlyn Gentry
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Richard Cherwitz (Rhetoric and Language)
Executive Rhetoric: An Analysis Of Reagan, Bush, And Clinton
Doctoral Student: Dr. Elizabeth Goins
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Larry Browning (Organizational Comm and Technology)
The Norwegian Success Story: Narrative Applications Of Interpretation, Understanding, & Communication In Complex Organizational Systems
Doctoral Student: Dr. Ashley Muddiman
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Talia Stroud (Rhetoric and Language)
The Instability Of Incivility: How News Frames And Citizen Perceptions Shape Conflict In American Politics
Doctoral Student: Dr. Zazil Reyes Garcia
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. (Rhetoric and Language)
Nagging Mothers And Monstrous Teachers: Female Politicians In Political Cartoons A Comparative Analysis Between Mexico And The U.S.
Doctoral Student: Dr. Valerie Thatcher
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric and Language)
The Atypical Environmentalist: The Rhetoric Of Environmentalist Identity And Citizenship In The Texas Coal Plant Opposition Movement
Doctoral Student: Dr. Connie Young Johnson
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric and Language)
Barack Obama And The Rhetoric Of A Black President
2012 Graduates
Doctoral Student: Dr. Kathleen Feyh
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric and Language)
Russian Hip-Hop: Rhetoric At The Intersection Of Style And Globalization
Doctoral Student: Dr. Erik Green
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Madeline Maxwell (Interpersonal)
Conflict Mediation Discourse Examined Through A Girardian Lens: Weapons And Wounds In Conflict Talk
Doctoral Student: Dr. Gamze Erturk Yilmaz
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Jorge Pena (Organizational Comm and Technology)
The Influence Of Interpersonal Behaviors And Social Categories On Language Use In Virtual Teams
Doctoral Student: Dr. Abigail Heller
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Keri Stephens (Organizational Comm and Technology)
Communicative Strategies For Organizational Survival: An Analysis Of Stereotype Threat Of Women In Petroleum Engineering
Doctoral Student: Dr. Sarah Vartabedian
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. (Rhetoric and Language)
Working Through A Monumental Break Up: Ideological Transitions, Ironic Monumental Disruptions, And Public Deliberation
Doctoral Student: Dr. Dina Inman Ramgolam
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Dawna Ballard (Organizational Comm and Technology)
Time And Technical Impressions: Exploring The Relationships Between Temporal Experience, Communication Practices, And Impression Management In The Contemporary Workplace
Doctoral Student: Dr. Flor Madero
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Madeline Maxwell (Interpersonal)
Look At Me Now!: Exploring Identity Narratives Of First Generation, Mexican-American College Students
Doctoral Student: Dr. Andrew Ishak
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Larry Browning (Organizational Comm and Technology)
Time Out: Organizational Training For Improvisation In Live-Saving Critical Teams
Doctoral Student: Dr. Leah Ross
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric and Language)
A Rhetoric Of Instrumentality: Documentary Film In The Landscape Of Public Memory
Doctoral Student: Dr. Trey Guinn
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Anita Vangelisti (Interpersonal)
Emerging Adult Friendship: A Consequence Of Family Communication And Catalyst For Well-Being
Doctoral Student: Dr. Katherine Kapurch
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Barry Brummett (Rhetoric and Language)
Unconditionally And At The Heart's Core: Twilight, Neo-Victorian Melodrama, And Popular Girl Culture
2011 Graduates
Doctoral Student: Dr. Jaehee Cho
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Dawna Ballard (Organizational Comm and Technology)
Employees' Information-Seeking Behaviors In Multicultural Contexts: Development Of An Advanced Model Including Information Overload, Team- Level Factors, And Cultural Backgrounds
Doctoral Student: Dr. Alexa Hampel
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Anita Vangelisti (Interpersonal)
Serial Hurt In Romantic Relationships: Toward An Understanding Of Recurring Hurtful Interactions
Doctoral Student: Dr. Roger Davis Gatchet
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Joshua Gunn (Rhetoric and Language)
The Struggle For Authenticity: Blues, Race, And Rhetoric
Doctoral Student: Dr. Eiko Yasui
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Jurgen Streeck (Rhetoric and Language)
Negotiating Story Entry: A Micro-Analytic Study Of Storytelling Projection In English And Japanese
Doctoral Student: Dr. Emily Balanoff Jones
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rod Hart (Rhetoric and Language)
A Special, Set-Apart Place No Longer? The Rhetoric Of Modern Nonprofit Organizations
Doctoral Student: Dr. Kimberly Shaefer
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Rene Dailey (Interpersonal)
Online Romantic Relationships Transitioning Offline: Impact Of Intimacy And Relationship Uncertainty On Relational Characteristics
Doctoral Student: Dr. Randolph Wilt
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Madeline Maxwell (Interpersonal)
Where The Difference Lies: Nursing Conflict Themes And The Role Of Facework Tactics In Nursing Interactions
Doctoral Student: Dr. Angela Niedermyer
Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Anita Vangelisti (Interpersonal)
An Investigation Of The Association Between Secrecy Characteristics, Trust, And The Reasons Romantic Partners Report For Discussing Expectations Regarding Secrecy