Sandra Faulkner

Dr. Sandra Faulkner is a Professor in the School of Media & Communication at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), part of the College of Arts & Sciences. Her work focuses on close relationships, relational communication, and critical qualitative methodologies. She holds a Ph.D. in Speech Communication from Penn State University. Key research areas include feminist methodology, family communication, and the negotiation of marginalized identities in relationships and communities. Dr. Faulkner teaches courses such as Interpersonal Communication, Relational Communication, and Humanistic Research Methods.

Her scholarly contributions include books like Inside Relationships: Critical Case Studies in Interpersonal Communication (2021) and Poetic Inquiry: Craft, Method, and Practice (2020), which received an ICQI Honorable Mention. She has published widely on topics ranging from queer communication to intergenerational dialogues, using poetic inquiry and autoethnography as core methodologies. Awards include the 2020 Trujillo and Goodall Award for Narrative Ethnography.

Recent projects address white motherhood, inclusive classroom practices, and political differences in families. She advocates for critical qualitative approaches to foster inclusivity, such as using poetic inquiry as a tool for social justice and feminist critique. Her research often involves community-based and participatory methods, emphasizing ethical storytelling and marginalized voices.

Dr. Faulkner’s work bridges theory and practice, with a focus on how culture, discourse, and identity shape relational processes. She collaborates on initiatives like the Intergenerational Connections project and contributes to pedagogical innovations in communication studies.