Leah Seurer

Leah Seurer serves as Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of Communication Studies, and Interim Associate Dean for Student Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Dakota. Her academic career bridges rigorous scholarship in communication theory with leadership in academic administration and innovative pedagogy.

Her educational foundation includes:

• PhD in Communication Studies (Family and Interpersonal Communication), University of Denver, 2015
• MA in Communication Studies, University of South Dakota, 2010
• BS in Communication Studies, University of South Dakota, 2008

Professor Seurer's research program critically examines identity construction at the family-health communication intersection, with dual emphases on discursive practices in non-normative family-health experiences and theoretical advancement of relational dialectics. Her work consistently employs qualitative methodologies to analyze narratives around motherhood, adoption, grief, and LGBTQ+ family dynamics, challenging culturally privileged understandings through critical discourse analysis.

Analysis of her 2014-2019 publications reveals sustained focus on discursive identity construction in marginalized family contexts, with increasing attention to queer theory applications and health communication intersections. Her scholarship demonstrates methodological consistency in qualitative analysis while evolving toward more explicitly critical frameworks addressing power structures in family communication.

Her scholarly impact is recognized through:

• Presidential Citation for Dedication and Service to NCA (2021)
• Top Paper Award, NCA Division of Family Communication (2013)

Professor Seurer maintains active research funding through a CURCS Mini-Grant (2017-present) while mentoring student researchers and developing critically-engaged curricula. Her administrative leadership in student affairs complements her commitment to inclusive pedagogy, as evidenced by presentations on transformative communication education at national conferences through 2024.

Though not leading a formally named laboratory, she cultivates collaborative research environments within the Communication Studies department, focusing on qualitative projects that examine identity negotiation in family-health contexts and advance critical interpersonal communication theory through student-faculty research teams.