Rate My Professor Carolyn Shue

Carolyn K. Shue, PhD, is Professor of Communication Studies and Department Chair in the Department of Communication Studies at Ball State University. She earned her PhD, MA, and BA from Ohio University and an additional BA from Western Michigan University. Her professional experience includes work in medical education and assessment. Dr. Shue's research interests focus on health communication, assessment, and communication theory. She examines communication processes in clinical settings, including patient-physician interactions, low-health literacy, diabetes management, physician communication skills training for childhood obesity discussions, and family communication in Alzheimer's disease progression.

Dr. Shue teaches courses such as COMM 335 Communication and Health, COMM 452 Applied Organizational Communication, COMM 465 Human Communication Inquiry, COMM 602 Quantitative Research in Communication, COMM 630 Health Communication, COMM 635 Interpersonal Communication, COMM 640 Interpersonal Communication in Context, and COMM 660 Communication Theory. Her career achievements include the 2023 Ball State University Excellence in Assessment: Distinction in Assessment; the 2020 Outstanding Faculty Member award and selection as July 2021 Commencement Speaker; the 2014 Faculty Teaching Award from the College of Communication, Information, and Media; Faculty Research Awards from the same college in 2008 and 2012; departmental Faculty Research Awards in 2012-2013, 2009-2010, and 2006-2007; Faculty Fellow position in the Global Health Institute from 2011-2013; two Faculty Advisor Honors from the Ball State University Alumni Association for Distinguished Theses; six Top Paper Awards at communication conferences; and two Top Poster Awards at medical education conferences.

Selected publications feature Shue, C. K., O’Hara, L. L. S., & Stamp, G. (2024). Fifty-years of theory-driven research in HCR: Prominence, progress, and opportunities. Human Communication Research; Shue, C. K. & Stamp, G. H. (2022). Ten years of family communication research: Theories, research perspectives, and trends. The Handbook of Family Communication (3rd Ed.); Eberline, A. P., & Shue, C. K. (2022). Family communication about race and culture: Do White families talk about race? Communication Studies; and Shue, C. K., Whitt, J. K., Daniel, L., & Shue, C. B. (2016). Promoting conversations between physicians and families about childhood obesity: Evaluation of physician communication training within a clinical practice improvement initiative. Health Communication. These contributions highlight her influence in advancing health and interpersonal communication scholarship.