Biography

 What Do You Teach?

I teach courses in interpersonal communication, family communication, and nonverbal communication at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and am a recipient of the NMSU College of Arts and Sciences award for outstanding achievement in teaching.

What Do You Research?

My research focuses on how people develop and maintain their romantic and family relationships and is featured in journals such as Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Journal of Family Psychology, Journal of Family Communication, and Human Communication Research.

I am also co-author (with Chris Segrin) of Family Communication (4^th ed.). This comprehensive book synthesizes the most current and highest quality research on family interaction and family relationships that is available from around the world. Family Communication explores communication in various family subsystems (e.g., romantic/marital, sibling, parent-child, extended family relationships), examines how communication functions to mitigate or exacerbate various relationship and family stressors, and explores fascinating links between the quality of family relationships and mental and physical health. In reviews, the book is described as a “go-to sourcebook” that “needs to be on the shelf of all family scholars—students, instructors, professionals alike.”

What is your favorite teaching moment?

At the end of each semester in my Family Communication classes, I ask students to write about the most influential thing(s) they learned in the class (e.g., a concept that helped them understand or explain something in their family interaction, a goal they have for how they want to communicate in their relationship/family, etc.).

The stories students offer are inspirational and meaningful. They remind me that one of my most important jobs in the classroom is translating evidence-based, scientific research on family interaction into practical, actionable takeaways that students will remember and can apply even after they leave the classroom, to positively impact their relationships for years to come. Few, if any, relationships are more central to people’s well-being than their family relationships, and I am thankful to study and teach about topics that make such a significant difference in people’s lives. 

What do you like most about NMSU?

I value our department’s strong collaborative culture and shared dedication to student success. I am especially appreciative of our students’ authentic engagement with course material as they thoughtfully apply their learning to personal and professional relationships. I also value the University’s commitment to meeting students where they are by offering courses through both our main campus and NMSU Global programs. And I love the beautiful mountains of New Mexico!