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Weber, Kirsten

Professor

FACULTY

Biography

Dr. Weber’s research centers on the role of interpersonal communication in shaping individual and relational well-being. Her scholarship examines how communication processes influence experiences of relational turbulence, the ways partners navigate periods of uncertainty or change, and how these dynamics affect both relational quality and personal outcomes. She also investigates the intersection of communication and health, with particular attention to communicative practices during illness, decision-making interactions, and the provision and reception of social support. Her work appears in leading disciplinary journals, including Human Communication Research, the International Journal of Communication, and Health Communication.

Dr. Weber served as co–PI on a National Science Foundation (NSF) ADVANCE Adaptation grant (Award No. 2305546). Her contributions to the project focused on fostering equity in higher education by improving the representation, retention, and advancement of women and historically minoritized faculty. She documented how communication practices within academic institutions can be inclusive or exclusionary, facilitate organizational change or reinforce structural divides, and empower or marginalize members of the campus community. Previously, Dr. Weber served as a research collaborator on an NSF ADVANCE Catalyst grant. Central Michigan University was among six institutions nationwide to receive the ADVANCE Catalyst Award in 2019. 

Dr. Weber is also an engaged and student-centered educator whose teaching spans both undergraduate and graduate levels. She regularly offers courses in interpersonal communication, communication and happiness, conflict communication, and communication theory, where she emphasizes evidence-based strategies for navigating relationships, fostering resilience, and improving quality of life. She integrates current scholarship into her courses to help students connect theoretical concepts with real-world communication challenges.

More about Kirsten Weber

Estlein, R., Theiss, J. A., Weber, K. M., & Jones, H. E. (in press). A relational turbulence theory perspective on interpersonal conflict during the transition to parenthood. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology, and Education. 

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