People

Wang Liao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington. He studies everyday interactions (mediated or not) and their social consequences, typically in the contexts of groups and interpersonal relationships. He is particularly interested in the roles that communication dynamics and related technologies play in the emergence of solidarity and hierarchy in everyday encounters, as well as various processes of social influence as the downstream consequences (e.g., compliance gaining, advice taking, information exchange, and community engagement). Recently, his interests also extend to how people interact and build relationships with artificial-intelligence agents (‘bots’). To approach these interests, he uses various quantitative methods, ranging from survey, online/in-lab experiments, content analysis, as well as more computation-intense studies of online/offline behavioral traces and contents. He is particularly enthusiastic about causal inference using these methods for his interested phenomena.

Valerie Manusov, Professor, has served as Chair for the Interpersonal and Nonverbal Communication Divisions of the National Communication Association and for the Interpersonal Communication Interest Group of the Western States Communication Association. Professor Manusov teaches courses in Interpersonal and Nonverbal Communication at the graduate and undergraduate level and leads the departmental honors program. She is the co-editor of The Sage Handbook of Nonverbal Communication, and the editor or co-editor of two other volumes. Her recent research focuses primarily on the ways in which nonverbal events are interpreted and how such discourse represents particular views about the nature of nonverbal communication, cultural values, relational quality, and other attributes. Currently, she is working on a research team investigating how mindfulness plays out in interpersonal relationships and serves on UW’s Graduate Council.

Savaughn E. Williams is an acting assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington. She will be receiving her Ph. D. from the University of Kansas. She has received her M.A. from Ball State University, and B.A. from Oklahoma Baptist University. Ms. Williams specializes in interpersonal communication focusing on relationships such as friendships, families, organizational interactions, and more. Her research utilizes critical qualitative methods such as interviews, photovoice, ethnography, and autoethnography to better understand questions around identity, race, and relationships. She utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to theory through utilizing communication theories and critical theories to help explore and better understand underrepresented populations. Through her work she has explored interracial friendships, families in a nonprofit, Black women in academia, and Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color (BIPOC) veterans with PTSD. She is most interested in highlighting underrepresented people and community engaged research.

Tiana Case
tlcase@uw.edu
Interests: Interpersonal Communication

Haomin Lin
humaslin@uw.edu
Interests: Linkage between micro-level communication and macro-level communication

Helen Rosenboom
hrosen2@uw.edu
Interests: Interpersonal, Nonverbal, and Intercultural Communication