I am a professor, researcher, and author. My research specialties are persuasion, social influence, health communication, and deception. I have published numerous research articles on these topics as well as 2 edited books and a textbook. My current research projects explore the strategic arousal of fear to promote healthy behavior; text messaging strategies for promoting vaccination and other health/wellness behaviors; how people interpret and misinterpret tweets and other social media content; deception tactics used by identity thieves; the language patients and doctors use to describe pain, addiction, and illness. These projects have been funded by the National Science Foundation, Institute of Education Sciences/US Department of Education, Kozmetsky Family Foundation, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, Merck Investigator Studies Program, and Children's Advocacy Centers of TX, among others. Courses Taught: Communication and Thought; Communicating Identity; Interpersonal Communication Theory; Language in Persuasion and Social Influence; Lying and Deception in Human Interaction; Message Design; Propaganda and Psychological Warfare; Prejudice in Communication; Theories of Persuasion