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Weber, Kirsten

Faculty, Director of Graduate Studies

FACULTY

Biography

Dr. Weber's research interests focus on how interpersonal communication impacts well-being. For instance, Dr. Weber has studied how turbulences within relationships impact the relationship partners as well as their relationship. She has also explored the ways illness intersects with communication such as during decision making and when offering social support. Her work has been published in Human Communication Research, the International Journal of Communication, and Health Communication.

Dr. Weber is currently a co-PI on an NSF ADVANCE Adaptation grant (2305546). Her work on the grant focuses on increasing the representation and advancement of women and traditionally minoritized populations in academia. Specifically, she is interested in how communication can be inclusive vs. exclusionary, bring about change vs. create divides, and engage and uplift vs. be used to discriminate.

Previously, Dr. Weber was a research collaborator on an NSF ADVANCE Catalyst grant. In August 2019, Central Michigan University was one of six higher education institutions to receive the ADVANCE Catalyst Award from the National Science Foundation. Her work with the ADVANCE Catalyst grant was centered on addressing barriers to institutional success for women in STEM at CMU.

More about Kirsten Weber

Estlein, R., Theiss, J. A., Jones, H. E., Weber, K. M., & Yoon, D. B. (2024). Facilitation and interference from partners during the transition to parenthood: A co-occurrence analysis of themes emerging within and between romantic partners. Journal of Family Communication.

Weber, K. M., Douglas, N., Popp, T., & Nelson, R. (2024). Why We Need Trauma-Informed Higher Education Now more than Ever. About Campus. 10864822231223445.

Weber, K. M., Lemanski, M., Lorenz, M., & Bingle, C. (2022). What We Said and What I wish We Said: Regret during Final Conversations. Death Studies, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2022.2155886

Weber, K. M., Douglas, N., Popp, T., & Nelson, R. (in press). Why We Need Trauma-Informed Higher Education Now more than Ever. About Campus

Weber, K. M., Madsen, B., Smith, H., Dejmanee, T., & Zaher, Z. (2022). BLM movement frames among the muted Voices: Actor-generated infographics on Instagram during #BlackoutTuesday. International Journal of Communication.

Dejmanee, T., Lorenz, M., Millar, J., Weber, K. M., & Zaher, Z. (2022). #AboriginalLivesMatter: Mapping Black Lives Matter Discourse in Australia. Media International Australia, 184, 6-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X221088053

Weber, K. M. & Keim, H. (2021). Meeting the Needs of Generation Z College Students through Out-of-Class Interactions. About Campus, 26, 10-16.

Pruitt, D. Weber, K. M., & Ragina, N. (2020). Teaching End-of-Life Preparation to African Americans. Palliative & Supportive Care, 19, 335-340.

Hamilton, N., Olumolade, O., Khan, M., Weber, K. M., Zyzanski, S. & Ragina, N. (2020) Access barriers to healthcare for people living with disabilities. Journal of Public Health, 1-9.

Weber, K., Dejmanee, T., & Rhode, F. (2018). The 2017 Women’s March on Washington: An Analysis of Protest-Sign Messages. International Journal of Communication, 12, 2289–2313.

Broekema, K. & Weber, K. M. (2017). Disclosures of Cystic Fibrosis-Related Information to Romantic Partners. Qualitative Health Review, 1-11.

Weber, K. M. Decision-making in families. (2016). In. S. Pike (Ed.) The international encyclopedia of family communication. Oxford, UK: Wiley - Blackwell.

Weber, K. M. & Solomon, D. H., & Meyer, B. J. F. (2013). A qualitative study of breast cancer treatment decisions: Evidence for five decision-making styles. Health Communication, 28, 408-421. DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2012.713775

Theiss, J. A., Estlein, R., & Weber, K. M. (2013). A longitudinal assessment of relationship characteristics that predict new parents’ relationship satisfaction: Applying and extending the relational turbulence model. Personal Relationships, 20, 216-235. DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2012.01406.x

PhD: 2009, Pennsylvania State University
MA: 2006, Pennsylvania State University
BA: 2003, Michigan State University​
• Interpersonal Communication
• Health Communication
• Communication Theory

Courses Taught

  • Interpersonal Communication
  • Communication Theory
  • Health Communication
  • Communication, Happiness, and Well-being
  • Research Methods