Kelly Sweeney

Kelly Sweeney is a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences at Pennsylvania State University. She holds a B.A. (2017) and M.A. (2019) from the University of Delaware, and a Ph.D. (August 2024) from Penn State. Her research focuses on mixed-media social interactions, examining how technology shapes interpersonal communication and relationship development in contexts like online dating and social support. She has taught courses including Interpersonal Communication (CAS 203), Effective Speech (CAS 100A), and Communication and Information Technologies (CAS 283), while also serving as a Teaching Assistant and Assistant Course Director for related programs.

Education:

• B.A., University of Delaware, 2017
• M.A., University of Delaware, 2019
• Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, August 2024

Research Interests: Kelly’s work explores how individuals navigate mixed-media relationships, particularly through channel-switching behaviors to establish and maintain personal connections. She integrates traditional interpersonal communication theory with computer-mediated communication studies to understand evolving social dynamics in digital spaces.

Teaching & Awards:

• Recipient of the 2021-2022 Kathryn DeBoer Teaching Award
• Recipient of the 2024 Harold F. Martin Teaching Award
• Assistant Course Director for CAS 100 (2021-2022)

Labs/Teams: No specific lab affiliations explicitly mentioned in the text.