News & Updates

Kristen Farris Named Chair of Communication Studies

The Department of Communication Studies is pleased to announce that Dr. Kristen Farris has been named Department Chair and will begin serving in that role beginning summer 2026. Kristen is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Texas State University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.A. from Texas State University, and a B.A. from Stephen F. Austin State University. She has been teaching in the Department of Communication Studies since 2009.

Her scholarship centers on relational communication processes that facilitate and/or hinder partners’ well-being in health and instructional contexts. Her health communication scholarship explores family interactions as they relate to coping with chronic illnesses and other health challenges, while her instructional communication scholarship focuses on how teacher-student interactions influence academic outcomes through their relational connections (or lack thereof). Kristen earned the Abbi Prestin Dissertation of the Year Award in 2018 from the Health Communication Divisions of the International and National Communication Associations for her work exploring romantic partners’ supportive communication in the context of arthritic and rheumatic diseases. She has also received 11 top paper or top paper panel awards from regional, national, and international communication associations. Kristen’s research appears in journal outlets such as: Health Communication, Communication Theory, Journal of Family Communication, Communication Quarterly, and Journal of Applied Communication Research. She earned the Presidential Distinction Award for Excellence in Scholarly and Creative Activity in 2023 from Texas State University.

Kristen is also an award-winning instructor. She earned the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2020 and along with the COMM 1310 teaching team, was awarded the National Communication Association’s Program of Distinction Award in 2010 and the Program of Excellence Award in 2011. Kristen teaches undergraduate and graduate courses focused on communication and coping, health communication, instructional communication, the dark side of communication, and empirical research methods.

Kristen has been very active in service to the University and the discipline of Communication Studies. She served as a director of the basic communication course for 10 years and was a member of the General Education Council during her tenure. She also served on the leadership team for TEDx Texas State University for 10 years. She is an Editorial Board Member for the Basic Communication Course Annual and has served as a manuscript reviewer for regional, national, and international conferences and several journals, including Communication Teacher and the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Kristen currently serves as the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication Studies and is a leadership team member for WellCats, Texas State’s workplace wellness program.

Personally, Kristen loves spending time with Marc, her husband of 15 years, and their feisty, 4-year-old daughter, Ivy. She loves traveling and new experiences, rooting on her favorite sports teams (Houston Texans, Houston Astros, San Antonio Spurs), getting lost in a great book, and hanging out with friends and family, preferably at happy hour or near a body of water.

Communication Studies Welcomes New Faculty

The Department of Communication Studies welcomes Meredith M. Turner as an Assistant Professor as she joins the faculty this summer. Meredith is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut. Her dissertation is entitled, “Manipulative Maintenance: Examining Manipulation Behaviors in Romantic Relationships,” and draws on longitudinal data and multilevel modeling to examine how manipulative behaviors are enacted within romantic relationships over time. Meredith earned a B.A. and an M.A. in Communication Studies at California State University, Fullerton.

Meredith’s research primarily investigates the bridge between psychological and communication processes, focusing on how personality, identity, and communication processes shape relational, health, and professional outcomes. Much of her work examines how Dark Triad personality traits are expressed in close relationships, and how they shape relational well-being. She also investigates how STEM professionals can improve communication outcomes, and how STEM identities are developed and expressed. Her work is published in Personality and Individual Differences, Western Journal of Communication, Communication Quarterly, Science Communication, Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, and the Kentucky Journal of Communication.

Meredith strives to create an inclusive and engaging learning environment that encourages critical thinking, collaboration, and real-world application of communication principles. Her teaching emphasizes active engagement by fostering creativity and empowering students to use communication effectively in their personal and professional lives. She has taught such courses as Technical Communication for Engineers, Professional Communication for Mechanical Engineers, Small Group Communication, and The Process of Communication. She is excited [MT1] to join the Department of Communication Studies and looks forward to building meaningful connections through research and teaching that bridge interpersonal communication, personality processes, and applied STEM contexts.

Remembering Sue Stewart

The Department of Communication Studies celebrated the life and career of Communication Studies faculty member and Texas State alum Sue Stewart. A dedicated educator, mentor, and colleague, Sue made enduring contributions to the University, the Department of Communication Studies, and her students—contributions that continue to resonate today.

Sue was born and raised in Alabama and attended Auburn University. She spent two years as Regional Sales Manager at TRW Title Insurance Company in Overland Park, Kansas. She sat on the Board of Directors of Southern Title Insurance Company in Richmond, VA, and then spent two years as Executive Vice President and Regional Manager at Fidelity National Title in Irvine, California.

Sue then moved to Austin and returned to school. She earned a B.L.S. in Speech Communication from St. Edwards University in 1998 and an M.A. in Communication Studies at Southwest Texas State University in 2000. She spent the next eighteen years as Senior Lecturer at Texas State University until her retirement in 2019. During her tenure, she served as Director of Undergraduate Studies for the department, taking on many administrative responsibilities in addition to teaching classes. She taught classes in Small Group Communication, Public Speaking, Leadership, and Communication and Technology. Sue also created the Communication Studies Internship program, giving students the opportunity to gain on-the-job experience in a communication related role with the production of a professional portfolio of work. Based on her corporate experience, she created COMM 3358 (Professional Communication), helping students manage the transition from undergraduate studies to professional life, including job selection, resume preparation and presentation, interviewing, and interaction management in business and professional settings. Sue also founded the COMM Club (now the COMM Guild), providing an opportunity for undergraduate students to develop social, intellectual, and professional networks with the help of informational workshops, group socials, and campus events.

Sue was passionate about helping young adults develop skills and mature as young professionals. One of her great joys was hearing from former students about their successes and their application of concepts and skills covered in her classes in their lives and professional journeys.
Sue was consistently recognized for outstanding service at Texas State University, to her department and to her students through work in curriculum development, academic assessment, working with student organizations, and mentoring interns. She earned multiple awards for service, including the College Achievement Award for Excellence in Service, a Departmental Award for Service, and the Friends of Fine Arts Excellence in Service Award. Even in retirement, Sue’s dedication to the Department of Communication Studies never wavered. She frequently gave her time to assist faculty with administrative tasks and collaborative opportunities.

When not working, Sue often preferred to head outdoors with her kayak, spend the day working in her yard or reading a good book. She was an eager traveler, particularly to places with nature and history to explore, learn, and experience something new. She was also very active in the local community, volunteering for the American Red Cross, Capital Area Food Bank, Austin Siamese Rescue, and as an election judge for primary and general elections in Travis County.

Special thanks to David Turner
 

Faculty Accolades

Ann Burnette and Rebekah Fox were invited to participate on the National Communication Association panel “Communicate to Elevate--Navigating the Crossroads: Academic Freedom in a Polarized Political Climate”. The panel was sponsored by the NCA Research Council and Religious Communication Association. She and Wayne Kraemer serve on the Board of Directors of the LBJ Museum of San Marcos. In January, the LBJ Museum held its 20th Anniversary Benefit Gala, and the featured speaker was Norma V. Cantu, civil rights lawyer and educator, who served in the Clinton Administration. Ann was also interviewed on KZSM Radio in October and November about the LBJ Museum of San Marcos to discuss LBJ’s relationship to Texas State University.

Stephanie Dailey published "Between class and career: Applying the job demands-resources model to working college students" in a Behavioral Sciences special issue: "Work Motivation, Engagement, and Psychological Health". She also serves as a guest editor of a special edition of Project Leadership and Society: "Narratives in Project Leadership". In December 2025, Stephanie’s qualitative methods graduate students presented findings from their field work and interviews with small business owners who participated in the LIFT program, an initiative of the SCALE UP program, funded in part by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and directed by Dr. Josh Daspit (Management).

Kristen Farris and Tricia Burke earned a Research Enhancement Program grant for $23,900 for their project entitled, "Familial Influence in Patient Medical Decision-Making." Kristen, Tricia Burke, and M.A. alum Abigail Mellow published “’It’s going to take hard work': An exploratory analysis of parent-caregivers’ labor across their child’s illness trajectory" in the Western Journal of Communication.

Maureen Keeley contributed a heartfelt conversation with Judy Oskam on her podcast, Stories of Change and Creativity. They discussed how to communicate with someone you love who is dying—and how research can help guide those final conversations. The interview draws on the work she and Dr. Julie Yingling share in their new book, “The Good Goodbye: The Transformative Power of Conversation at the End of Life.”