Rate My Professor Riley Richards

Richards specializes in interpersonal communication within romantic and sexual relationships, with key research interests including mediated communication, human-machine communication, social presence theory, mobile and social media applications like Snapchat, social robotics, and financial literacy communication between couples. His peer-reviewed publications include 'The Multimodal Nature of Snapchat in Close Relationships: Toward a Social Presence-Based Theoretical Framework' (Computers in Human Behavior, 2020, with J.A. Kahlow and M.C. Coker, 60 citations); 'Human-Machine Communication Scholarship Trends: An Examination of Research from 2011 to 2021 in Communication Journals' (Human-Machine Communication, 2022, with P.R. Spence and C.C. Edwards, 40 citations); 'Effects of Mediated Communication on Conflict Behavior, Resolution, and Affect in Romantic Couples' (Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2021, with E.K. Ruppel et al.); 'Exploration of Relational Factors and the Likelihood of a Sexual Robotic Experience' (2016 conference paper, 40 citations); and 'Where Do We Go From Here? A 37-Year (1986-2022) Content Analysis of the Northwest Journal of Communication' (Northwest Journal of Communication, 2024, with students M. Lee, M.L. Miranda, and J. Potts). With over 114 citations across platforms, Richards influences the field through empirical studies on technology's role in relationships. He serves on the Faculty Senate, University Research Committee (co-chair 2022-2025), and Elections Committee, while co-facilitating research roundtables, proposing faculty writing groups, and mentoring undergraduates in publishing scholarly analyses.