Empowering her students through communication
By Laura Pohl, Contributing Writer
Valerie Cronin-Fisher, Associate Professor in the Communication Department, knows from personal experience that improving communication skills can help college students succeed both on and off campus. She recently earned tenure at Governors State University (GovState) after six years of teaching, research, and publishing.
“I took a communication class as a ‘GenEd’ my first semester of college and my world changed forever,” Cronin-Fisher said. “I was able to understand the world around me so much better. I was able to navigate my relationships, write, and communicate more competently. I knew that I wanted to help college students achieve the same!”
As an undergraduate, she envisioned that she’d someday earn a doctorate and she achieved that goal at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2018. Her research interests are interpersonal communication and communication in relationships.
Cronin-Fisher teaches a wide range of courses at both the undergraduate and master’s level, including Family Communication, Emotional Communication, Conflict Management, the Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication, and Communication Ethics.
GovState Newsroom: What are some of the communication topics you research and teach that are relevant to what’s happening in the world today?
Cronin-Fisher: My teaching interests include interpersonal and family communication, research methods, graduate seminars in understudied areas of relationships, and conflict management. My primary goal as an instructor is to empower students with communication skills to help them navigate life with greater understanding and competence within their close relationships and workplace.
My research interests include times of transition and things that make us uncomfortable in close relationships. Specifically, I have researched romantic conflict, relational dissolution, self-disclosure within friendships, jealousy in friendships, uncertainty in friendships and romantic relationships, political differences within couples, and motherhood and birth communication. The goal of my research is to produce practical applications for individuals who are experiencing turmoil or uncertainty in close relationships. These issues impact all students, and shedding light on them in my research and classes helps reduce stigma and makes students not feel so alone.
GovState Newsroom: What motivates you as a faculty member?
Cronin-Fisher: I love connecting with students. It feels amazing when students tell me their lives have improved since taking my class. I also love helping students change their major to Communication, decide to pursue graduate school or hone their career goals.
GovState Newsroom: What is your favorite book? Streaming show on television?
Cronin-Fisher: I mostly listen to podcasts! One of my favorites right now is "We can do hard things.” Some of my favorite shows are “Only Murders in the Building,” “Ted Lasso,” and anything on Disney. I have two little boys and have recently reconnected with my inner child!
GovState Newsroom: What do you love most about GovState?
Cronin-Fisher: I love the students. Our students are brave, unapologetic, and determined. Having so many different life experiences and personalities in class creates a transformative environment for learning. I learn new things and get new perspectives every day!