Dr. Lori Byers

 

Lori Byers, Ph.D. joined the Communication Studies department at UNT during the fall of 2000. Dr. Byers earned her Ph.D. from Ohio University in 1997. Her dissertation focused on the types and functions of family stories, particularly on how family stories create and maintain individual and family identities. Lori is originally from Texas, where she received her undergraduate degree from Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth (1990) and her Master's degree from UNT (1994).

Dr. Byers serves as the course director for COMM 2020: Interpersonal Communication. In addition, at the undergraduate level she teaches Gender and Communication, Communication in the Family, and Relational Development. At the graduate level, Dr. Byers teaches Conflict Management, Narrative and Culture, Interpersonal Communication, Gender and Communication, and Communication in the Family.

Dr. Byers’ research examines how people communicate during times of crisis. Her most recent publication, published in Alzheimer’s Care Quarterly with Dr. Carrie Shue and Dr. Beth Graham, investigates the critical incidents, or turning points, reported by family caregivers of Alzheimer’ s patients. Another article with Dr. Carrie Shue examines how family caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients use stories to make sense of and provide structure to chaos. This article earned a prestigious "Top Three Paper" designation at the National Communication Association’s conference in 2005.
 Dr. Byers' Vita

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