Team Members

Cimmiaron Alvarez

Rutgers PhD Student

Cimmiaron F. Alvarez is a PhD student at Rutgers University where she studies interpersonal and family communication with Dr. Scharp. Her research interests lie at the intersection of family, interpersonal, and health communication. Specifically, Cimmiaron is interested in how individuals manage impressions and cope during difficult transitions. 

America Edwards

MSU Post Doc

America Edwards is a PhD candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of California Santa Barbara and a Research Associate (soon to be post-doc) in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. She is interested in interpersonal communication and strategic communication, through both mediated and unmediated channels.

Wenyuan Li

MSU MA Student

Wenyuan Li is a master's student in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. His research interests are centered around interpersonal communication, health communication, and human-AI communication. In his leisure time, Wenyuan enjoys playing badminton and embarking on road trips, exploring the diverse landscapes and cultures across the country.

Yue Zhang

MSU PhD Student

Yue Zhang is a doctoral student in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on the intersection of interpersonal and family communication, particularly examining how individuals navigate dynamic dyadic conversations to collaboratively manage stress, enhance resilience, and promote psychological and relational well-being.

Xiaoran Cui

MSU MA Student

Xiaoran Cui is a master student in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. She is interested in interpersonal communication, family communication and health communication. Her research focuses on the relationship between emerging adults and their parents and the health of older adults.

Haley Nolan-Cody

Rutgers PhD Student

Haley Nolan-Cody is a PhD student at Rutgers University. She received her M.A. in interpersonal communication from the University of Texas at Austin. Haley’s program of research examines topics which often explore the interplay between interpersonal, family, and health communication. In particular, she is interested in studying how people talk about trauma, stigma, and difficult health topics in the family. Her works appears in the Journal of Communication.

Brooke Wolife

MSU Post Doc

Brooke Wolfe is a Dean’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Communication Department at Michigan State University. She received her Ph.D. in Family and Interpersonal Communication from the University of Washington. Brooke’s research focuses on individuals historically marginalized, and underrepresented, within interpersonal, family, and health contexts engage in processes of social support and resilience as forms of resistance.

Raine Kuch

MSU MA Student

Raine Kuch is a MA student in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. She is interested in persuasion, social and gender norms and social identity groups. Raine also works as a freelance journalist in Kalamazoo and has a background in journalism and music. In her free-time, Raine reads Syfy/fantasy and practices Brazilian Jiujitsu.