research interests

my research focuses on interpersonal communication--in other words, i study how people interact within close relationships, such as with their romantic partners, family members, and friends.

when i started my graduate studies in communication, i was interested in two rather distinct areas: long-distance romantic relationships, and (the lack of) sex differences in communication. i completed a few projects in those areas while working on my master's at UWM (1994-1996), and am still studying various dimensions of communication in long-distance relationships.

i began working on my ph.d. at the university of texas in 1996, and somewhere along the line i became extremely interested in jealousy expression. in an attempt to combine two of my favorite topics, my dissertation examined how various relationship factors affect jealousy expression, and explored the ways individuals in long-distance romantic relationships express jealousy compared to individuals in proximal relationships. while at UT, i also did a few projects on premarital commitment and family secrets.

at present, i am working on several different projects. some of the topics include: mothers living with HIV, the effects of child care, and long-distance marriage due to military deployment.

for a list of my publications and convention papers, please check the link to my vita.