I am a doctoral candidate in the Department of Speech Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. My training has been in interpersonal health communication, particularly the communication practices and processes relevant to primary and secondary HIV and STI prevention. My research to date has examined central communication processes, such as social support, disclosure, and safer sex negotiation, in an applied context and has explored the potential for research on strategic message design for improving HIV secondary prevention programs and interventions. Currently, I am working on data analysis for my dissertation, which has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (grant no. F31MH078787-01A1). My dissertation explores the meanings and dilemmas of sexual communication and issues of sexual safety for transgender individuals.
My classroom involvement began during my MA program at the University of Texas at Austin, where I served as a teaching assistant for courses in lying and deception, nonverbal communication, and conflict resolution. At the University of Illinois, I have been the teacher of record for public speaking, interviewing, and interpersonal health communication. Further information can be found in the research and teaching links.
When I'm not working, I enjoy volunteering, playing with my pugs, and taking in as much pop culture as possible (to keep up with my students, of course!).
