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Dr. Aimee Miller-Ott

Professor & Graduate Program Coordinator
School of Communication
Office
Fell Hall - FEL 408
Office Hours
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 am-12 pm at the following Zoom link:
https://illinoisstate.zoom.us/j/4868664781
Office Phone
(309) 438-3277office
phone
Email
aeott@ilstu.eduemail
  • About
  • Education
  • Awards & Honors
  • Research

Current Courses

499Independent Research For The Master's Thesis

498Professional Practice In Communication

325Theory And Research In Interpersonal Communication

331Human Communication & The Aging Process

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

Outstanding College Researcher in Humanities Award

Illinois State University College of Arts and Sciences
2022

Dawn O. Braithwaite Qualitative Research Award

Central States Communication Association
2022

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
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