Alyssa Reed

Biography:

Alyssa received her Bachelor’s of Science in Family Studies and a thematic sequence in Communication from Miami University. Following the completion of her degree, Alyssa worked at a private school for seven years teaching 5^th and 6^th grade. During this time, Alyssa discovered not only a love for teaching, but also promotions via social media, assistance in administration and fundraising. Alyssa then completed her Master’s of Arts in Communication at the University of Dayton. In her time at UD, Alyssa served as a graduate teaching assistant, the assistant basic course director, and as an adjunct professor post-graduation. Alyssa is currently working towards her Doctor of Philosophy in Communication at the Brian Lamb School at Purdue University. At Purdue, Alyssa serves as a graduate teaching assistant. Her primary areas of study include organizational and relational communication with minors in methods and strategic communication. Alyssa also plans to pursue a graduate certification in advanced methods at Purdue University.       

Research and Teaching:

Alyssa’s research interests include focusing on how individuals belong in society and how leaders help individuals to cultivate a sense of belonging. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, Alyssa plans to engage in both experimental designs, surveys, and interviews. Some current research projects include a survey of alumni and current parents of a small, private school and those individual’s levels of identification with the school, as well as interviews with church leaders about how the leaders decide what to share about their private lives with their congregation and whether parasocial interactions impact the leader’s decisions to share personal information on social media. At the University of Dayton, Alyssa taught the basic communication course for several years. In 2022, she received the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, Social Sciences, at the University of Dayton. At Purdue University, Alyssa was a Ross Fellowship recipient. Alyssa has taught the basic communication course for students of the College of Science at Purdue University; she is looking forward to teaching the basic communication course this year.