Lisa Dahlgren (van Raalte)

Assistant Professor, Director of Communication Studies Research Lab, Department of Communication Studies

“Life is tough my darling, but so are you” – Stephanie Bennett-Henry

Dr. Lisa Dahlgren (van Raalte) is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Communication Studies Research Lab in the Department of Communication Studies at Sam Houston State University. Her scholarly interests include interpersonal communication, health communication, and sport communication. Using online surveys, experimental design, and quantitative methods, her research focuses on how communication in close personal relationships influence one’s psychological, physiological, and relational health. Her research interests include, but are not limited to, affection, sexual communication, social support, and relational quality. In recent projects she has examined the health effects of increased hugging, relational health effects of cuddling in cohabitating romantic relationships, explored the rules and relational maintenance in friends with benefits relationships, and has examined concussion reporting for collegiate student-athletes.

Website: http://www.drlisavanraalte.com

She has published in journals such as the Western Journal of Communication, Southern Communication Journal, Research in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Communication Research, Communication Reports, Journal of Family Communication, and The International Journal of Design Education. She has also co-authored several book chapters in texts such as Persuasion and Communication in Sport, The Sourcebook of Listening Methodology and Measurement, and the Encyclopedia of Family Studies. Her research has been recognized through top paper awards from the National Communication Association and Western States Communication Association. Dr. Dahlgren (van Raalte) received her Ph.D. in Communication from Arizona State University, and her master’s and bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.