Dr. Rebecca Imes
Professor of Communication, Chair of the Department of Communication, Sociology and Criminal Justice
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TEACHES IN THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM(S)
Communication
Department of Communication and Sociology
Education
- University of Iowa, Communication Studies, Ph.D., July 2005
- Emerson College/Tufts University School of Medicine, Joint Program in Health Communication, M.A., May 1999
- Nebraska Wesleyan University, Communication, B.A., May 1997
Areas of Specialization
Relational Communication, Health Communication
Scholarly and Professional Achievements
Publications
Bylund, C.L., Baxter, L.A., Wolf, B, Imes, R.S. (2010). Parental Rule Socialization for Preventive Health and Adolescent Rule Compliance. Family Relations.
Bylund, C.L., Gueguen, J.A., D'Agostino, T.A., Imes, R.S., & Sonet, E. (2009). Cancer patients' decisions about discussing internet information with their doctors. Psycho-oncology.
Baxter, L.A., Bylund, C.L., Imes, R.S., Routsong, T. (2009) Parent-child perceptions of parental behavioral control through rule-setting for risky health choices during adolescence. Journal of Family Communication.
Imes, R.S., Bylund, C.L., Routsong, T.S., Sabee, C.M., & Aldridge, A.N. (2008). Why patients refrain from talking to their health care providers about information they find on the Internet. Health Communication.
Sabee, C.M., Bylund, C.L., Imes, R.S., Aldridge, A., & Rice, I.S. (2007). Why did you say that? An investigation into the attributions made for health care providers' reactions to Internet health research. Southern Communication Journal.
Bylund, C.L, Sabee, C.B., Imes, R.S., Li, Y. (2007) Provider-patient dialogue about internet health information: An exploration of strategies to improve the provider-patient relationship. Patient Education and Counseling.
Bylund, C.L., Sabee, C.B., Imes, R.S., Aldridge, A.N. (2007) Exploration of the construct of reliance among patients who talk with their providers about internet information. Journal of Health Communication.
Baxter, L.A., Bylund, C.L., Imes, R.S., & Scheive, D.M. (2005). Family communication environments and rule-based social control of adolescents' healthy lifestyle choices. Journal of Family Communication.
Bylund, C.L., Imes, R.S., & Baxter, L.A. (2005). Parents' perceptual accuracy of their college student children's health and health risk behaviors. Journal of American College Health.
Invited Book Chapter
Bylund, C.L., & Imes, R.S. (2005). Communication and medical decision making in context: Choosing between reasonable options. In E.B. Ray (Ed.) Health Communication in Practice: Case Studies in Health Communication (pp. 69-80), 2nd edition, Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Service to Carroll University and Profession
Institutional Service
- Chair, Department of Communication and Sociology, Carroll Univ.
- Chair, General Education and Cross-Cultural Education Committee, Carroll Univ.
- Member, University Climate Committee, Carroll Univ.
Professional Service
- Reviewer: Health Communication
Honors and Awards
Honors
- Tenure and promotion to Associate Professor, 2012
- Inductee to Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, 2011
- Norman & Louise Allhiser Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2010
Grants Awarded
- Faculty Development Grant for further data analysis for sabbatical research, 2015
- Birnschein Foundation Grant, $17,445 “My student said what?”: Analyzing PT grad student/patient communication, 2014
- Faculty Development Grant to fund 2014 sabbatical research at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, OH. Research: High performing, transdisciplinary palliative care team: What is the secret of their success?, 2013
- Sabbatical awarded for Spring 2014, 2012
- Cross-Cultural Experience Development Grant for Borderlinks Travel, 2011
- Faculty Development Grant, Borderlinks Experience for Ten Faculty, 2011
- Faculty Development Grant, Qualitative analysis software, 2011
- Title III Technology Grant, Transcription software for students, 2010
- Faculty Development Grant, Spousal Communication in Cancer Survivorship, 2010
- Faculty Development Grant, co-investigator with M. Pioli, Finding Love On-line, 2010
- Mid-year grant, Faculty Development committee, $850 for conference participation, 2009
- Pio Grant for Undergraduate Research, Carroll University, The impact of email on management in manufacturing settings, 2008
- Dean’s Grant, Carroll College. Project: Communication in families surviving cancer, 2007-2008
- Faculty Development Grant, Carroll College. Project: Humanizing Health Series, 2007-2008
What is your teaching style?
I consider myself a narrative teacher — I teach through storytelling. I use many types of stories: my own, case studies, media clips and even data! Data does tell a story if you know where and how to look.
Why do you do what you do?
I did not know I wanted to teach in the classroom when I was an undergrad. I thought I was supposed to be teaching as a clinician in health care. A graduate school experience got me in front of an undergraduate classroom and I never left — I’d found my calling! I choose to teach at Carroll because I love knowing my students. I love working with them from the first time they are in a Communication class and watching our joint academic journey progress together. I also love that I still talk to a number of department alumni on a regular basis.
How do you make learning engaging?
My teaching style is designed to be engaging. If all you need is a textbook to learn the information for my course you don’t need me! My courses use a textbook for fundamental principles and then we use those concepts as we analyze case studies, collect and analyze our own data or apply our findings to stories in the media.
What should students know about you?
I’m a true believer in my discipline. The academic study of meaning making between humans (aka: Communication) is foundational to your personal and professional life. Our studies affect how we think about ourselves, our interpersonal relationships, our small groups and teams, our organizations, and our mediated messages. No one is “just” a Communication major — that attitude undervalues a discipline that is fundamental to human interaction. I am proud to teach and research in such a vital field.