Dr. Aimee Miller-Ott
Professor & Graduate Program Coordinator
School of Communication
Office
Fell Hall - FEL 408
Office Hours
Office Phone
Email
- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Research
Current Courses
499Independent Research For The Master's Thesis
498Professional Practice In Communication
325Theory And Research In Interpersonal Communication
Teaching Interests & Areas
Relational/Interpersonal Communication, Family Communication, Interpersonal/Family Communication and Aging, Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication, Mobile Technology in Relationships
Research Interests & Areas
The negotiation of cell phone communication in personal relationships; the presentation and negotiation of identity in interpersonal relationships. I have studied these interests in a variety of contexts (e.g., romantic relationships, friendships, post-divorce relationships, foster families, parent-child relationships, women’s peer relationships), through different theories (e.g., Facework Theory, Politeness Theory, Communication Privacy Management Theory).
Ph D Interpersonal and Family Communication/Instructional Communication
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
MA Interpersonal Communication
California State University
Fullerton
BS Speech Communication
Northern Arizona University
University Outstanding Teacher Award
Illinois State University
2019
College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teacher Award
2017
Jamie Comstock Award
School of Communication
2017
Humanities Center Faculty Fellow
“Seeking Love after Divorce” for “Love and Desire” Humanities Seminar
2013
Excellence in Teaching Award
National Society of Leadership and Success, University of Hartford
2012
Book, Authored
Houston, D., Gjesfjeld, C., Miller-Ott, C., Gholson, T., Schaeffer, L., & Brown, M. (2016). Higher Education as the Lifeline to Social Mobility for Former Foster Youth: A Comprehensive Needs and Assets Assessment. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Book, Chapter
Hunt, S. K., Miller-Ott, A., E., & Patel, V. (2022). A roadmap to career success: Pursuing careers outside of the academy for MA graduates. In B. Bach, D. O. Braithwaite, & S. Ganesh (Eds.), By Degrees: Resilience, Relationships, and Success in Communication Graduate Studies. Cognella
Miller-Ott, A. E., & Alvarez, C. *(2022). Face theory: The ongoing performances of our lives. In D. O. Braithwaite & P. Schrodt (Eds.), Engaging Theories in Interpersonal Communication (3rd edition). Routledge.
Miller-Ott, A. E. & Kelly, L. (2019). Connection or intrusion? Mother-daughter communication through technology. For M. Miller-Day & A. Alford (Eds.), Constructing Motherhood and Daughterhood Across the Lifespan. Peter Lang. doi:10.3726/b10841
Miller-Ott, A. E. (2019). “We talk like friends versus she’s just my mom:” Openness and closeness in the mother/married daughter relationship. For M. Miller-Day & A. Alford (Eds.), Constructing Motherhood and Daughterhood Across the Lifespan. Peter Lang. doi:10.3726/b10841
Miller-Ott, A.E. (2019). My mom has been gone for a while, but she’s still alive…” Communicating as a child of a parent with Alzheimer’s disease. In S. Symonds-LeBlanc (Ed.), Casing the family: Theoretical and applied approaches to understanding family communication. Kendall Hunt.
Book, Edited
Lippert, L., Hall, R.D., Miller-Ott, A. E., & Davis, D. (Eds.) (2019). Communicating Mental Health: History, Concepts, & Perspectives. Lexington Books.
Journal Article
Avant, D., Miller-Ott, A. E. & Houston, D. (2021). “I needed to aim higher:” Former foster youths’ pathways to college success. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30(4), 1043-1058.
doi:10.1007/s10826-020-01892-1
doi:10.1007/s10826-020-01892-1
Miller-Ott, A. E., & Hopper, K. M. (2021). “She’s truly just the oven for us:” Discourse dependency in families of children born through a surrogate. Western Journal of Communication. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2021.1992000
Miller-Ott, A. E. (2020). “Just a heads up, my father has Alzheimer’s:” Changes in communication and identity of adult children of parents with Alzheimer’s Disease. Health Communication, 35, 119-126. doi:10.1080/10410236.2018.1547676
Hall, R. D.,* & Miller-Ott, A.E. (2019). Invisible pain: A look at women’s (non)disclosure of fibromyalgia in the workplace. Ohio Communication Journal, 51(2), 223-257. Retrieved from https://ohiocomm.org/ohio-communication-journal/
Kelly, L., Miller-Ott, A. E., & Duran, R. L. (2019). Phubbing friends: Understanding face threats from, and responses to, friends’ cell phone usage through the lens of politeness theory. Communication Quarterly, 67(5), 540-559. doi:10.1080/01463373.2019.1668443
Kilgore, L. & Miller-Ott, A.E. (2019). I knew college was in the cards for me:" The role of memorable messages in foster youth's post-secondary education decisions. Ohio Communication Journal, 57, 19-32. Retrieved from https://ohiocomm.org/ohio-communication-journal/
Miller-Ott, A. E. (2019). Boundary management strategies reflecting the discourse-dependent nature of work-spouse relationships. Advanced online publication. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication. doi:10.1080/17459435.2019.1578820
Kelly, L., & Miller-Ott, A.E. (2018). Perceived miscommunication in friends’ and romantic partners’ texted conversations. Southern Communication Journal, 83, 267-280. doi: 10.1080/1041794X.2018.1488271
Miller-Ott, A. E. (2018). “Just a heads up, my father has Alzheimer’s:” Changes in communication and identity of adult children of parents with Alzheimer’s Disease. Health Communication. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2018.1547676
Kelly, L., Miller-Ott, A. E., & Duran, R. L. (2017). Sports scores & intimate moments: An expectancy violations theory approach to partner cell phone behaviors in adult romantic relationships. Western Journal of Communication, 81, 619-640. doi: 10.1080/10570314.2017.1299206
Miller-Ott, A. E. (2017). Developing and maintaining a foster family identity through foster parents’ identity work. Journal of Family Communication, 17(3), 208-222. doi: 10.1080/15267431.2017.1293061
Miller-Ott, A. E., & Kelly, L. (2017). A politeness theory analysis of cell phone usage in the presence of friends. Communication Studies, 68(2), 190-207. doi: 10.1080/10510974.2017.1299024
Duran, R. L., Miller-Ott, A. E., & Kelly, L. (2015). The role of mobile phones in romantic relationships. In Z. Yan (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Mobile Phone Behavior (Volumes 1, 2, & 3). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-4666-8239-9.ch028
Miller-Ott, A. E., & Kelly, L. (2015). The presence of cell phones in romantic partner face-to-face interactions: An expectancy violation theory approach. Southern Communication Journal, 80, 253-270. doi:10.1080/1041794X.2015.1055371
Miller-Ott, A. E., Kelly, L., & Duran, R. L. (2014). Cell phone usage expectations, closeness, and relationship satisfaction between parents and their college-aged children. Emerging Adulthood, 2, 1-11. doi: 10.1177/2167696814550195
Harrigan, M. M., & Miller-Ott, A. E. (2013). The multivocality of meaning making: An exploration of the discourses college aged daughters voice in talk about their mothers. Journal of Family Communication, 13, 1-18. doi: 10.1080/15267431.2013.768249
Miller-Ott, A. E. (2013). Factors that influence separated/divorced parents’ sharing of personal information. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 54, 282-294. doi: 10.1080/10502556.2013.780464
Miller-Ott, A. E., & *Linder, A. (2013). Romantic partners’ use of facework and humor to communicate about sex. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 14, 69-78. doi: 10.1080/17459435.2013.835344
Miller-Ott, A. E., & Kelly, L. (2013). Communication of female relational aggression in the college environment. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 14, 19-27. doi: 10.1080/17459435.2013.835338
Miller-Ott, A. E., & Kelly, L. (2013). Mean girls in college: An analysis of how college women communicatively construct and account for relational aggression. Women’s Studies in Communication, 36, 330-347. doi: 10.1080/07491409.2013.829792
Miller-Ott, A. E., Kelly, L., & Duran, R. L. (2012). The effects of cell phone usage rules on satisfaction in romantic relationships. Communication Quarterly, 60, 1-18. doi: 10.1080/01463373.2012.642263
Miller-Ott, A. E., & Durham, W. T. (2011). The role of social support in young women’s communication about the genital HPV vaccine. Women’s Studies in Communication, 34, 183-201. doi: 10.1080/07491409.2011.618239
Schrodt, P., Miller, A. E., & Braithwaite, D. O. (2011). Ex-spouses’ relational satisfaction as a function of coparental communication in stepfamilies. Communication Studies, 62 (3), 272-290. doi: 10.1080/10510974.2011.563453
Presentations
Alvarez, C. & Miller-Ott, A. E. (2021, November). The polite abuser: Using politeness theory to examine emotional abuse. Paper presented to the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association, Seattle, WA
DeWeert, L. J., & Miller-Ott, A. E. (2021, November). Physical disability in romantic relationships: Exploring how women with visible physical disabilities navigate conversations about their identity with male romantic partners. Paper presented to the Disability Issues Caucus, Interpersonal Communication Division, and Women's Caucus (co-sponsors), Seattle, WA.
Keaten, J., Kelly, L., & Miller-Ott, A. E. (2021, November). The impact of shyness and fear of negative evaluation on likelihood of and factors associated with posting on Instagram. Paper presented to the Human Communication and Technology Division of the National Communication Association, Seattle, WA.
Miller-Ott, A. E. (2021, November). (Panelist). Transforming applied qualitative research in the time of COVID-19: Lessons taught, lessons learned. Panel accepted for presentation to the Applied Communication Division, National Communication Association, Seattle, WA
Hernandez, A.,* & Miller-Ott, A. E. (2020, November). “They are supposed to be there for me:” Using thematic analysis to understand sexual assault disclosures in Hispanic families. Paper presented to the Family Communication Division of the National Communication Association, Indianapolis, IN
Miller-Ott, A. E., & Lippert, L. R. (Facilitators). (2020, November). Spotlight panel on mental health (Part #1): Studying mental health in interpersonal relationships and families. Panel presented to the Interpersonal Communication Division, National Communication Association, Indianapolis, IN
Miller-Ott, A. E., & Lippert, L. R. (Facilitators). (2020, November). Spotlight panel on mental health (Part #2): Studying mental health within organizational structures. Panel presented to the Health Communication Division, National Communication Association, Indianapolis, IN
Miller-Ott, A. E., Hopper, M. K., DeWeert, L.,* Hendricker, J.,* Hernandez, A.,* Metz, A.,* Morrison-Sain, A.,* & Richards, M.* (2019, November). “She’s truly just the oven for us:” The discursive construction of “normal” family by parents of children born through a surrogate. Paper presented to the Family Communication Division of the National Communication Association, Baltimore, MD
Miller-Ott, A. E., Kelly, L., & Duran, R. L. (2020, November). “Put your phone away and pay attention to me:” Interactants' responses to being phubbed. Paper presented to the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association, Indianapolis, IN
Kelly, L., Miller-Ott, A. E., & Duran, R. L. (2019, May). Phubbing with friends: Understanding face threats from, and responses to, friends’ cell phone usage through the lens of politeness theory. Paper presented to the Mobile Communication Interest Group of the International Communication Association, Washington DC
Miller-Ott, A. E. (2019, November). Biological children’s communication and experiences in foster families. Panel, “Sometimes surviving and sometimes thriving – Developing, maintaining, and supporting foster and adoptive families” presented to the Family Communication Division of the National Communication Association, Baltimore, MD
Gjesfjeld, C.D., Houston, D., Miller-Ott, A., & Gholson, T. (April 2017). Former foster youth in college: A needs and assets assessment. Roundtable session at American Educational Research Association – San Antonio, TX
Gjesfjeld, C., Houston, D., Miller-Ott, A., & Gholson, T. (2016). Former Foster Youth in College: A Needs and Assets Assessment. American Educational Research Association (AERA), Unit: Division J - Postsecondary Education; Section: Division J - Section 2b: College Student Success and Outcomes.
Grants & Contracts
Faculty Research Award (FWA): Parent-Teenage Daughter Communication about Social Media Usage. University Research Grant. Illinois State University. (2021)
Experiences of Biological Children in Foster Families. CAS URG. Illinois State University. (2018)
Dark Side of Cell Phones in Romantic Relationships. CAS URG. Illinois State University. (2016)
Voluntary Parents’ Fund Grant. University of Hartford. State. (2012)
Coffin Grant. University of Hartford. State. (2011)
2017-06-08T13:05:11.458-05:00
2017