In the News
2022
RESEARCH REVEALS | OPENING FOR INSTITUTE OF REPRODUCTIVE GRIEF CARE
Dr. Rafferty was invited to speak at the grand opening and launch of the Institute for Reproductive Grief Care in San Diego, CA.
Rafferty participated in the Research Reveals panel discussion and shared findings from her recently published study on the communicative tensions in women’s medication abortion narratives.
For additional details about this event, please see the following press release.
2021
FEDERATION PRIZE | CENTRAL STATES COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION
Dr. Rafferty along with Drs. Kate Magsamen-Conrad and Jeffrey Child, and graduate student Erin Slatterly received the Federation Prize from Central States Communication Association. This award will provide them with $5000 to financially support their research with the SHINE Pediatric Palliative Care Program at UnityPoint Health – Des Moines.
SCIENCE DAILY ARTICLE
Iowa State News publishes an article in Science Daily on how research explores how family dynamics factor into whether 18- to 25-year-olds share private health information and involve their parents when making medical decisions. To read this article, click here
STRAIGHT TALK with JEANNE THILL
Dr. Rafferty is featured on Jeanne Thill’s Straight Talk podcast on June, 22nd 2021. The two cover the topic many are passionate about for moral reasons, abortion. Dr. Rafferty gives her expertise from her case study, "Abortion Changes You: A Case Study to Understand the Communicative Tensions in Women's Medication Abortion Narratives." To listen, click here
ISU HONORS PRESENTATION
Maeve McGuire, an Iowa State graduate, worked with Dr. Rafferty in her research lab. Maeve completed research this semester titled; Finding Beauty in the Struggle: Using Relational Dialectics Theory to Analyze Discourses That Influence What It Means to be Both Mom and Caregiver to a Child with Medical Complexities. To watch her presentation, click here
RESEARCH REVEALS WEBINAR | LIFE PERSPECTIVES & INSTITUTE FOR REPRODUCTIVE GREIF CARE
Dr. Rafferty was invited to participate in a webinar with Life Perspectives where she discussed the findings from her study #AbortionChangesYou: A case study to understand the communicative tensions in women's medication abortion narratives. Life Perspectives is an organization based in San Diego, CA that provides training, research, and expertise to health professionals and other care providers who offer support after reproductive loss including miscarriage and abortion.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS
Lab research assistants Grace Snyder and Caleb Woods were recently recognized by LAS Dean Beate Schmittmann in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Newsletter for their work on an informational flyer about COVID-19. Their work has also been sent to the Iowa State Theielen Health Center to be used as a resource for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full article from the Communication Studies Program.
DOCTOR RADIO
Dr. Rafferty was interviewed on the Pediatrics: On Call for Kids segment of Dr. Radio. She discussed her research on parents with children who have medical complexities. In particular, she talked about the communication challenges that these parents face with managing uncertainty and maintaining hope. She also discussed the ways that parents strategically manage conversations about their child's health and the importance of parents becoming informed advocates. Listen HERE.
2019
THE CONVERSATION
An article was published about Dr. Rafferty’s program of research on parents with medical complexities. This article highlights the unique communicative challenges faced by parents with medical complexities.
2018
THE ACADEMIC MINUTE (AMES, IA)
Dr. Rafferty's research about how parents can serve as advocates for their chronically ill children was published in The Academic Minute, a WAMC national production.
2017
THE CEDAR RAPIDS NEWS GAZETTE (CEDAR RAPIDS, IA)
Dr. Rafferty's research findings on expressing empathy when showing support for families grieving or battling health difficulties was recently referenced in The Gazette.
WHO TV 13 NEWS AT 4 (DES MOINES, IA)
In December 2017, Dr. Rafferty had a live interview with a local Des Moines news station to discuss her research and how it can help educate others to be more supportive for those who feel loss or hopeless during the holiday season.
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS RELEASE (AMES, IA)
Dr. Rafferty’s recent study on what it means to be a parental advocate for a chronically ill child was published in Health Communication. A news release was disseminated by Iowa State University.
A discussion of her findings and its relationship to the Charlie Gard case was also published on the Charlotte Lozier Institute blog.
Conference Presentations
2022
CENTRAL STATES COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION (MADISON, WI)
Dr. Rafferty presented a research update with her colleagues from the University of Iowa and Kent State University. This research was financially supported by the Federation Prize received last year.
HEARTBEAT INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE (JACKSONVILLE, FL)
Dr. Rafferty’s Research on medication abortion narratives was presented at the annual conference to providers and crisis pregnancy centers across the United States.
2021
ISU HONORS PROJECT
Maeve McGuire and Dr. Rafferty’s work was published in the ISU repository for undergraduate honors projects. The pair conducted a qualitative study on mothers of children with complex chronic conditions to understand how they communicate about and interpret their unique caregiving experiences. Their research is based on relational dialectics theory (Baxter, 2011) to understand the specific discourses that mothers experience. View their research poster here.
NATIONAL COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE (SEATTLE, WA)
Former Iowa State student, Maeve McGuire was invited to speak at the 107th National Communication Association Conference. Maeve presented her research titled Finding beauty in the struggle: Using relational dialectics theory to analyze discourses that influence what it means to be both mom and caregiver to a child with medical complexities. To watch her presentation, click HERE.
2020
NATIONAL COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE (VIRTUAL)
In November 2020, Dr. Rafferty and Tessa Longbons virtually presented their study #AbortionChangesYou to the 106th National Communication Association conference.
2019
CENTRAL STATES COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION (OMAHA, NE)
Dr. Rafferty and her colleague, Dr. Tina Coffelt, presented their research at the annual Central States Communication Association. Their research on health disclosures between emerging adults and their parents was awarded Top Paper for the Health Communication Interest Group.
RESEARCH AT THE IOWA STATE CAPITOL (DES MOINES, IA)
Former lab research assistants (Sydney Ellis & Nicole Miller) were two of 20 undergraduate students selected to present at the Iowa State Capitol for the 14th annual Research in the Capitol event. Sydney Ellis was selected among all undergraduate students to provide the opening remarks about the importance and value of undergraduate research. The Journal Eureka wrote a news article about the event.
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM (AMES, IA)
Former lab research assistants (Sydney Ellis & Nicole Miller) represented the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the Symposium of Undergraduate Research & Creative Expression on April 17, 2019. Here, they presented research on parents of medically complex children and a grounded theory of helpful and unhelpful support received from health care providers.
2018
NATIONAL COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION (SALT LAKE CITY, UT)
At the 104th annual National Communication Association Conference, Dr. Rafferty presented research on two different projects: (1) parents’ advice messages to other parents traversing a child’s pediatric complex condition, and (2) dialectical tensions surrounding parents talk about normality and difference regarding their experiences as a caregiver for their medically complex child.
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY (ISU) UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM (AMES, IA)
Former lab research assistants (Sarah Heller, Madison Schwenneker, Kara Hutton & Nicole Miller) represented the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression on April 10, 2018. Sarah and Madison presented research on college students healthcare privacy boundaries. Kara and Nicole presented on the communicative tensions evident in parents’ talk about caregiving for their medically complex child.
2017
NATIONAL COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION (DALLAS, TX)
In November 2017, Dr. Rafferty and two former lab research assistants (Kara Hutton & Sarah Heller) presented their research on parents' health information disclosures and the role of hope in parents' management of their child's complex chronic condition. This research was presented at the 103rd annual National Communication Association Conference.
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM (AMES, IA)
Former lab research assistants (Kara Hutton & Sarah Heller) represented the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the Symposium on Undergraduate Research & Creative Expression on April 11, 2017. Here, they presented research about parents' privacy management disclosures regarding their child's complex chronic condition.