Biography
Dr. Brann explores the integration of health, interpersonal, and gender communication. Her translational focus and mixed methods approach are woven throughout her health vulnerabilities research, which advocates for more effective communication to improve people’s health. Her primary research interests focus on the study of women’s and ethical issues in health communication contexts and promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors. Specifically, she seeks to understand the communicative negotiations regarding interpersonal communicative negotiations and societal views of reproductive loss, more empathic provider communication during bad news delivery and shared decision-making interactions, promotion of preventive health activities, and collegiate education and socialization processes. Theoretically, she researches communication at both the micro and macro levels. She studies how communication influences the aforementioned areas in relationships among individuals and with the social world. Methodologically, her research questions guide the specific data-gathering techniques she employs and includes interviews, focus group discussions, surveys, and observations.
Teaching
Health Communication, Nonverbal Communication, Family Communication, Relational Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Gender Communication, Qualitative Research Methods, Capstone
Awards
GRANTS
Principal Investigator for IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute (IAHI) grant titled “At a
Loss: Using Performance to Explain How Friends Communicate about Infertility,” 2022-2023.
Principal Investigator for Life Perspectives grant titled “Investigating Communication Preferences after Pregnancy Loss,” 2021-2022.
Co-Principal Investigator on a Program Review and Assessment Committee (PRAC)
Grant titled, “Designing a Sustainable Assessment Plan for the Communication Studies Gateway-to-Capstone ePortfolio Initiative,” 2021-2022.
Co-Principal Investigator for IU Emergency Equity Fund for Research grant titled “Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mothers Raising a Newborn,” 2021.
Co-Principal Investigator for IUPUI Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research COVID-
19 Rapid Response Grant titled “Understanding COVID-19 Birth Stories,” 2020-2021.
Principal Investigator for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contract titled “Three Occupational Specific Units for the Workplace Violence Course: Focus Group Discussion for the Stand-alone Facilities, Home Health/Social Services, and Emergency Responder Units,” 2018-2019.
Co-Principal Investigator on an Indiana University Center for Teaching and Learning
Curriculum Enhancement Grant titled, “Preparing Graduate Students to Succeed in School and Beyond: Creating Proseminars in Graduate Education and Pedagogy,” 2018-2019.
Co-Principal Investigator on an Indiana University Center for Teaching and Learning
Curriculum Enhancement Grant titled, “Development of Five Graduate Communication Studies Courses for a New Online Certificate,” 2016-2017.
Co-Principal Investigator for Central States Communication Association Federation Prize titled, “Women’s Perceptions of Provider Communication about Miscarriage,” 2016.
Co-Principal Investigator on an Indiana University School of Liberal Arts Online Course Development Grant titled, “Development of Five Online Graduate Communication Studies Courses,” 2016.
Co-Principal Investigator for IUPUI Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research Release Time for Research (RTR) grant titled “Improving Bad News Delivery: Training Residents to Talk about Miscarriage,” 2015.
Principal Investigator for IU School of Liberal Arts Summer Research grant titled “Improving Bad News Delivery: Training Residents to Talk about Miscarriage,” 2015.
Co-Investigator for IUPUI Developing Diverse Researchers with InVestigative Expertise (DRIVE) grant titled “Managing Private Information about Miscarriage: Couples’ Perspectives,” 2012.
Principal Investigator on a West Virginia University Office of Service Learning Programs Mini-Grant titled “Using Service Learning to Enhance Students’ Understanding of Health Communication Campaigns,” 2005.
TEACHING
- Teaching and Engaged Learning Honoree, IUPUI Center for Teaching and Learning, 2020
- Outstanding Mentor/Motivator, IUPUI Liberal Arts Student Council, 2019
- Trustees Teaching Award, IUPUI, 2015
RESEARCH
- Distinguished Lecturer, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, 2017
- Federation Prize Recipient, Central States Communication Association, 2016
- Recognized as one of the most prolific scholars (top 1%) in Communication Studies, 2007-2011
- Top Paper, Rhetorical Theory and Criticism Interest Group, Central States Communication Association, Madison, WI, 2022
- Top Four Paper, Health Communication and Interpersonal and Family Interest Groups, Central States Communication Association, Madison, WI, 2022
- Top Four Paper, Health Communication Interest Group, Central States Communication Association, Cincinnati, OH, 2021
- Top Five Paper, Health Communication Interest Group, Central States Communication Association, Omaha, NE, 2019
- Top Paper, Applied Communication Interest Group, Eastern Communication Association, Philadelphia, PA, 2015
- Top Paper, Nonverbal Communication Interest Group, Eastern Communication Association, Providence, RI, 2014
- Top Four Paper, Interpersonal Communication Division, National Communication Association, Washington, DC, 2013
- Top Paper, Interpersonal Communication Interest Group, Eastern Communication Association, Baltimore, MD, 2010
- Top Paper, Instructional/Developmental Communication Division, International Communication Association, Montreal, Canada, 2008
Academic Interests
Health communication, communication about pregnancy loss, communication about reproductive loss grief, provider communication of bad news and shared-decision making, public health communication about safe and healthy lifestyle choices, communicating support to pregnant women and new mothers
