Biography
Dr. Kristen Farris is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Texas State University. She graduated with her PhD in interpersonal communication from the University of Texas at Austin in 2017. Prior to that, she earned a MA in communication studies from Texas State University and a BA in speech communication from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Research Interests
My scholarship centers on relational communication processes that facilitate and/or hinder partners’ well-being in health and instructional contexts. My health communication scholarship primarily explores family interactions as they relate to coping with chronic illnesses and other health challenges, while my instructional communication scholarship largely focuses on how teacher-student interactions influence academic outcomes through their relational connections (or lack thereof).
I was honored to earn the Abbi Prestin Dissertation of the Year Award in 2018 from the Health Communication Divisions of the International and National Communication Associations for my work exploring romantic partners’ supportive communication in the context of arthritic and rheumatic diseases. My research has also received 11 top paper or top paper panel awards from regional, national, and international communication associations. My scholarship appears in journal outlets such as: Health Communication, Communication Theory, Journal of Family Communication, Communication Quarterly, and Journal of Applied Communication Research.
I was honored to earn the Abbi Prestin Dissertation of the Year Award in 2018 from the Health Communication Divisions of the International and National Communication Associations for my work exploring romantic partners’ supportive communication in the context of arthritic and rheumatic diseases. My research has also received 11 top paper or top paper panel awards from regional, national, and international communication associations. My scholarship appears in journal outlets such as: Health Communication, Communication Theory, Journal of Family Communication, Communication Quarterly, and Journal of Applied Communication Research.
Teaching Interests
My teaching philosophy is greatly influenced by this bell hooks quote, "As a classroom community, our capacity to generate excitement is deeply affected by our interest in one another, in hearing one another’s voices, in recognizing one another’s presence.” As a result, I aim to establish connections with students, cultivate inclusive classroom climates, and adjust my teaching based on valued recommendations from students and peers.
I teach undergraduate and graduate courses focused on communication and coping, health communication, instructional communication, the dark side of communication, and empirical research methods. I was honored to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2020 and along with the COMM 1310 (Foundations of Human Communication) teaching team, was awarded with the National Communication Association’s Program of Distinction Award in 2010 and the Program of Excellence Award in 2011. I am also currently serving as the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication Studies.
I teach undergraduate and graduate courses focused on communication and coping, health communication, instructional communication, the dark side of communication, and empirical research methods. I was honored to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2020 and along with the COMM 1310 (Foundations of Human Communication) teaching team, was awarded with the National Communication Association’s Program of Distinction Award in 2010 and the Program of Excellence Award in 2011. I am also currently serving as the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication Studies.