Hi! I'm Emily, a third-year PhD student in interpersonal communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

My research focuses on communication about and within romantic and sexual relationships. Currently, I'm a Gratitude Fellow funded by The Love Consortium for a project that investigates cross-cultural expressions of love and gratitude. 

I utilize both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to investigate my research questions. Primarily, I am interested in how people understand themselves within their interpersonal relationships and how technology mediates these experiences. For example, how do online spaces catalyze sensemaking about our relationships with close others? How do individuals communicate their sexual willingness through digital channels? I also use critical theory to research health disparities, inaccessibility, and disability.