Hickerson Dominiski, Ruth

Research

keywords

Dark side of relationships, Construction of Identity, Narrative Analysis, Women Experiencing Homelessness, Gendered Communication, Family Identities, Coming Out Stories, Family Roles, Bullying, Retention and Persistence, Student Success

Teaching

courses taught

COMM 1210 - Perspectives on Human Communication
Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Summer 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Summer 2022
Surveys communication in a variety of contexts and applications. Topics include basic concepts and general models of communication, ethics, language and nonverbal communication, personal relationships, group decision making, organizational communication, and impact of technological developments on communication. Required for COMN majors and minors.
COMM 2400 - Discourse, Culture and Identities
Primary Instructor - Summer 2020
Considers how communication is central to constructing who people are and examines social controversies related to talk and identities. Students learn to analyze and understand discourse, defined as everyday talk and conversation, through the practice of discourse analysis.
COMM 2500 - Interpersonal Communication
Primary Instructor - Summer 2019 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
Examines how communication processes such as language and nonverbal behavior shape perceptions of self, influence identity, and impact interpersonal roles and relationships. Students learn theories of human interaction and consider how this can be used to improve relational communication. Recommended prerequisites: COMM 1210 and COMM 1600.
COMM 3000 - Issues in Communication
Primary Instructor - Spring 2023
Explores select issues in communication. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours on different issues. Recommended prerequisites: COMM 1210 and COMM 1600.
COMM 3420 - Gender and Communication
Primary Instructor - Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Summer 2022 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Summer 2024 / Fall 2024
Examines gender as a social practice that remains vital to identities, relationships, and institutions in contemporary society. Treats gender as something we do or enact through communication, rather than as something we are or have, and explores the implications of this shift in perspective. Investigates how gender interacts with sexuality, race, class, nation, age, ability, and other aspects of identity.

COMM 3510 - Family Communication
Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Summer 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2024
Explores communication in families from various theoretical perspectives, such as social constructionism, systems theory, and dialectical theory. Communication patterns and processes created and sustained by family members are examined, including rules, roles, stories, rituals, myths, metaphors, themes, and cycles. Recommended prerequisites: COMM 1210 and COMM 1600.

COMM 4510 - Senior Seminar: Interpersonal Communication
Primary Instructor - Fall 2018
Requires students to synthesize and demonstrate what they�ve learned in the major. Please refer to the specific description listed for the current semester. Each seminar will vary greatly in format and content.

COMM 4930 - Internship
Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Summer 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Summer 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Summer 2020 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Summer 2021
Studies are pursued in communication-related work experience projects that generally require 40 hours on the job per credit hour and evidence (e.g., journal, paper and employer evaluation) of significant learning. Recommended prerequisite: 57 hours of overall course work, 18 hours of communication course work completed, 2.50 overall GPA and a faculty sponsor. The 14-hour limit in the major applies to any combination of independent study and internship credit and does not count toward the 36 hours required for the major.

COMM 4950 - Senior Thesis: Honors
Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Spring 2020
For exceptional communication majors who wish to graduate with department honors and receive credit for writing an honors thesis. For students accepted into COMN Honors program and currently completing COMN Honors Thesis project.

ORGL 5405 - Diversity and Organizational Communication
Primary Instructor - Fall 2024
This course examines how we construct our social identities through everyday communication and how these identities intersect in complex ways to shape and influence organizational life. In other words, this course reframes social identities like gender, race, sexuality, and so forth as something that we do through ongoing communication at work, rather than as something we are or have and merely bring to work. Importantly, this shift in perspective underscores how systems of inclusion and exclusion that seem to be �just the way things are� are actually made by us as we all participate in seemingly mundane, everyday dynamics of identity and power. In shifting attention from people to everyday practice � it points toward innovative ways we can intervene in the current state of affairs and cultivate organizations that better understand and value difference and diversity. Accordingly, students will learn to reflect on their own contributions to routine practices of identity and power and will learn to expand their options and skills for �doing difference� at work. They will also learn to lead others in the development and maintenance of organizational practices conducive to meaningful diversity and inclusive work cultures.

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Background

education and training

Ph.D., University of Denver 2006
M.A., University of Denver 2000
B.S., Regis University 1997

VIVO

Positions

Research Areas