Sarah Parsloe, PhD
Associate Professor of Communication
Dr. Parsloe's research interests focus on how individuals communicate to construct empowering health and disability identities in the face of uncertainty, doubt, stigma, and ableism. She considers how biosocial communities organize for collective action, including advocacy and activism. Her work has addressed the ways in which social media facilitates community-building, social support, and cyberactivism among individuals with various chronic conditions and disabilities. She has also published research exploring ableism and inclusive teaching practices in higher education. Dr. Parsloe's research has been featured in Health Communication, The Journal of Applied Communication Research, Departures in Critical Qualitative Research, Information, Communication, & Society, The Journal of Family Communication, The Howard Journal of Communications, Communication Education, Feminist Pedagogy, and Women & Language.
She published the book, Falling in Love with the Process: Cultivating Resilience in Health Crises: A Stroke Survivor's Story (2020) with co-author, Dr. Patricia Geist-Martin.
Education
PhD, Communication Studies, Ohio University, Athens, OH
MA, Communication Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
BA, Public Relations/Communication Studies, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Courses Taught
Dr. Parsloe's classes are frequently designed for community engagement, allowing students to complete projects in partnership with local non-profit organizations. Supported by a Faculty Instructional Technology Integration (FITI) grant, she has explored the value of podcasting as a teaching tool. Dr. Parsloe's work on Rollins’ campus was acknowledged with an Arthur Vining Davis Fellowship and the Presidential Award for the Promotion of Diversity and Inclusion.
COM 325 Communication Campaigns
Investigate the planning, organization, implementation, and evaluation of various educational, political, and commercial campaigns to exert social influence.
COM 220 Interpersonal Communication
COM 320 Difficult Dialogues in Health Communication
Learning skills in communication and social science research methods, along with listening, validating, and empathizing, students engage in community service work through various activities, including making puppets to communicate with grieving children.
COM 355 Global Health Communication
Take a deep dive into important issues and key concepts of communication in global health, focusing on determinants of health, the burden of disease, health disparities, risk factors, and communication strategies.
Disability & Social Change
Health Policy and Advocacy Communication
RFLA 300 My Body, My Self: Communicating Embodied Identities