Contact Information
702 South Wright Street
Urbana IL 61801
Research Areas
Biography
I am an interpersonal and health communication scholar interested in examining how individuals from invisible or marginalized populations navigate health-related uncertainty, identity negotiation, and disclosure. My work spans topics including chronic illness, weight cycling, mental health, and veterinary well-being, using mixed methodology. I seek to advance theorizing on uncertainty, identity, and disclosure while informing healthcare training practices to improve patient–provider communication.
Research Interests
Health Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Mixed Methods, Invisible Illnesses, Uncertainty, Identity, Disclosure
Education
M.S., Communication, North Carolina State University
B.A., Interpersonal, Organizational, and Rhetorical Communication, North Carolina State University
Courses Taught
Instructor of Record
- CMN 101: Public Speaking
Highlighted Publications
Romo, L., Earl, S., Mueller, K. A., Obiol, M. (2024). A qualitative model of weight cycling. Qualitative Health Research, 34(8-9), 798-814. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323231221666
Romo, L., Kedrowicz, A., Mueller, K. A., Mayhorn, C. (2025). An examination of veterinarians' negotiation of emotional labor. Qualitative Research in Medicine & Health, 9(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.qrmh.2025.100001
Abetz, J. S., Romo, L., Mueller, K. A., Obiol, M. (2025). Exploring how weight cyclers negotiate weight-related cultural discourses. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 9(2), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/1