Maggie Unruh

Maggie A. Unruh is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her work explores how individuals and organizations manage sensitive information across interpersonal and healthcare settings, with particular attention to trauma, stigma, and patient safety. Grounded in qualitative and critical approaches, she investigates how embodied experiences, cultural discourses, and relational dynamics shape the negotiation of privacy and what can be concealed, revealed, and understood through communication. By examining disclosure as both a relational and embodied process, her research extends theories of privacy and disclosure while informing communication practices that strengthen interpersonal relationships and foster ethical and compassionate healthcare.