Lisa Guntzviller

Lisa Guntzviller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. She holds a B.A. from Aquinas College and M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication from Purdue University. Her research focuses on interpersonal, family, and health communication in underserved populations, particularly identity dilemmas in contexts like language brokering and advice exchanges. Key areas include parent-child relationships, Spanish-speaking families, and health communication challenges faced by low-income and minority groups.

• Education:
• B.A. in Communication & Mathematics, Aquinas College (2007)
• M.A. in Communication, Purdue University (2009)
• Ph.D. in Communication, Purdue University (2013)

Her work explores how communication tasks challenge relational identities (e.g., language brokering requiring children to mediate for parents while respecting authority, or advice-giving implying dependency). She employs a multiple goals framework to analyze communication outcomes and dyadic perspectives in interactions. Current projects include the ESSAMA study on Latina mother-adolescent stress and support.

Awards:

• 2021 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
• 2019 Journal of Family Communication Article of the Year Award
• 2019 Distinguished Promotion Award

Advising & Grants: While specific grant details are not listed, her research often involves collaboration on studies like ESSAMA. Advising focuses on student involvement in language brokering and advice response theory projects.

Labs/Teams: She contributes to interdisciplinary teams studying health communication, family dynamics, and communication in underserved communities through the University of Illinois’s Department of Communication.