Research Areas
Research Interests
- Interpersonal, Family, and Health Communication
- Uncertainty, Identity, and Communication Dilemmas
Research Description
I study interpersonal and family communication surrounding identity, uncertainty, and relational transitions. I am especially interested in how marginalized and disenfranchised families (e.g., LGBTQ+ families) navigate difficult or stigmatized conversations—such as those related to gender and sexuality or health disruptions. Within these contexts, I explore how identity and social norms and structures generate and at times impose uncertainty in relationships, and how communication operates as a resource for managing that uncertainty and negotiating relational change.
Through my research, I hope to continue work that highlights voices of families and family members who are often socially erased, ignored, and disempowered.
Education
- MA, Communication, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- BA, Communication and English Literature, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Awards and Honors
- Marion Morse Wood Fellowship in Interpersonal Communication, University of Illinois Graduate College (2026-2027)
- Illinois Distinguished Fellowship in the Humanities and Arts, University of Illinois Graduate College (2023-2026)
- President’s Research in Diversity Travel Award, University of Illinois System President’s Office (Spring 2023)
- List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent, University of Illinois, Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning (Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2024*) *denotes ranking of outstanding
Courses Taught
Instructor of Record
- Communication 336: Family Communication
- Communication 210: Public Communication in Everyday Life
- Communication 101: Public Speaking
Faculty Extender
- Communication 595: Stigma in Healthcare
Teaching Assistant
- Communication 102: Introduction to Communication
Additional Campus Affiliations
Assessing Safer Attorney Practices (ASAP) Volunteer Research Affiliate, MAKE IT Lab, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
External Links
Highlighted Publications
Gerlikovski, E., & Thompson, C. M. (2026). Heteronormativity as hegemonic ideology: LGBTQ+ individuals’ experiences with communicative disenfranchisement in the family. Journal of Family Communication, 26(1), 41–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2025.2583529
Gerlikovski, E., Unruh, M. A., & Caughlin, J. P. (2025). Memorable messages and their role in shaping LGBTQ+ family dynamics and parental communication goals. LGBTQ+ Family: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/27703371.2025.2554994
Thompson, C. M., & Gerlikovski, E. (2026). Extending the theory of credibility work: The communicative labor of LGBTQ+ individuals to live authentically with/in families. Communication Monographs, 93(2), 304–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2025.2575158
Thompson, C. M., Gerlikovski, E., Babu, S., McGuire, M., Robieson, I., & Ranallo, A. (2024). A longitudinal interview study of people with Long COVID: Uncertainties, liminality, and processes of becoming. Health Communication, 40(11), 2143–2154. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2442684