Bethany A. Conway

Dr. Bethany A. Conway is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at California Polytechnic State University since Fall 2015. Her research focuses on intersections of mass and political communication, particularly collective sensemaking in politics, new media's role in campaigns, and journalistic source networks.

• Ph.D. in Communication, University of Arizona (2015)
• M.A. in Journalism, University of Arizona (2011)
• B.A. in English, University of New Mexico (2007)

Current research projects include analyzing source use and meaning making in the 2024 election, alongside ongoing work on political incivility tolerance patterns. Her publications span journals like Communication Research, Human Communication Research, and Journal of Computer Mediated Communication. As an affiliate with the University of Arizona’s National Institute for Civil Discourse, she contributes to long-term studies on political civility perceptions.

She received the National Communication Association Political Communication Division Top Paper Award (2014) for co-authoring 'What is Political Incivility?' which established foundational frameworks for the field. Her teaching portfolio includes courses in Media Effects, Communication Research Methods, and Political Communication.