Associate Professor of Interpersonal and Family Communication Dr. Colleen Colaner has been selected as the Department of Communication's new Director of Graduate Studies. Dr. Colaner is excited about her new role. She explained, "Graduate education has always been central to my work, and I look forward to working with each of the graduate students."

As Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Colaner will lead departmental graduate education efforts, such as graduate student recruitment, professional development, and curriculum planning. Dr. Colaner has been previously recognized for her work with gradate students when she was selected as the Department of Communication Graduate Advisor of the Year in 2016.

Dr. Colaner collaborates with graduate students on a variety of research projects, such as the Open Adoption Communication Project in which she works with graduate students to collect data from adoptive parents about how they communicate with and about birth parents in open adoption relationships. 

Dr. Colaner feels a strong connection to the Department of Communication, saying, “Switzler Hall is filled with some of the best and brightest communication scholars in the field. Graduate students are a strong part of the foundation of the Department of Communication. In this role, I’m excited to further support the department’s ongoing tradition of fostering the research training, scholarly growth, and professional development of our graduate students."