She earned a Ph. D. from Ohio University, an M.A. from the University of Kansas, and a B.A. from Texas Tech University. Her scholarly interests include interpersonal communication and communication theory. Her research focuses on the influence of individuals' personally-held theories of communication on aspects of community life, relational health, and personal well-being. Recent published work appears in journals such as the Journal of Family Communication, Communication Studies, Health Communication, Communication Research Reports, Communication Education, The Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, and in several edited books. She is the recipient of an Outstanding Teaching Award and the Kim Giffin Research Award from the University of Kansas and was designated a Claude Kantner Research Fellow at Ohio University