Susan Kline

Susan Kline is an Associate Professor at Ohio State University with a distinguished academic career focused on interpersonal communication, persuasion, and communication theory. Her work bridges theoretical inquiry with practical applications in social and organizational contexts.

• Education:
  • B.A., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • M.A., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Dr. Kline investigates how communication shapes identity, relationships, and social influence. Her research spans three core areas:
- Constructivist approaches to message design and interpersonal competence development in children
- Persuasion and argumentation in deliberative contexts, particularly around colorism and civility
- Technology-mediated communication dynamics in organizational and person-centered systems

Recent publications highlight her expertise in argumentation frameworks across media formats, stereotype evolution through dialogue, and the socio-political dimensions of communication. Her work integrates cognitive development models with rhetorical analysis to examine how communication technologies reshape learning and relational maintenance.

Dr. Kline contributes to academic discourse through graduate student mentorship and innovative teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels, covering topics like persuasive communication, language/social interaction, and technology-mediated discourse analysis.