Rebekah Crawford

Rebekah Perkins Crawford's Ph.D. is in health communication and her research focuses on health disparities that are enabled by and perpetuated through human interactions, relationships, organizations and cultures. Dr. Crawford's questions focus on communication’s influences on community health since messages constitute the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that either promote health or perpetuate inequities through social groups and over time. Specifically, Dr. Crawford researches experiences of invisible differences (such as mental illness, religious identity, and sexual and gender minorities) to learn how stigma, discrimination and social oppression translate into barriers that inhibit holistic health. Qualitative and mixed methodologies allow Dr. Crawford to conduct engaged, community-based, participatory and responsive studies. The goals of this research are to advance theoretical knowledge while simultaneously building communities’ capacities to organize, educate and collaborate for improved health outcomes.

Education

• Ph.D., Health Communication, Relating & Organizing, Ohio University, 2018
• M.A., Relating & Organizing; Health Communication, Ohio university, 2016
• B.S., Secondary Education and History, Brigham Young University, 1999

Research/Professional Interests

• Mental health care, messages, and stigma within religious organizations and communities
• Communicating about Sexual and Reproductive Health with religious audiences
• Sexual and Gendered violence
• LGBTQ+ health disparities
• Risk Communication and Health Campaigns

Teaching Experience

• Visiting Assistant Professor, Community and Public Health (Fall 2018-Present). Health Communication Specialist, Department of Social and Public Health, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Ohio University
• Instructor of Record (Fall, 2013-Present). Ohio University, School of Communication Studies
• Adjunct Instructor (Fall 2011-Spring 2013). Ohio University, Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, University College
• Teaching Assistant (Fall 2015, Fall 2017). Ohio University, School of Communication Studies

Publications

• Schuller, K. A., & Crawford, R. P. (2020). Impact of interpersonal client–provider relationship on satisfaction with mental healthcare among the LGBTQ+ population. Journal of Mental Health  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09638237.2020.1793126
• Crawford, R. P. (in press) Communicating mental illness in religious organizations. In L. Lipert, R. Hall, A. Miller-Ott, & D. Cochece Davis (Eds.), Communicating Mental Health: History, Concepts, & Perspectives. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
• Crawford, R. P. (in press) Gender and mental health in Mormon contexts. In T. Petry, & A. Hoyt (Eds.), Handbook on Mormonism and Gender. London: Routledge.
• Crawford, R. P. (2018). Infiltrative Rhetoric for LGB Inclusion: The LDS Version of the “Supportive Families, Healthy Children” Pamphlet. Western Journal of Communication, 82, 259–275. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2017.1390147.
• Crawford, R. P., & Schuller, K. A. (in press). A web of constraints: Functional, communicative, and hybrid barriers to accessing mental health care in LGBTQ+ communities. Submitted to Psychology and Sexuality.
• Crawford, R. P. (2016). Black pearls on a string: Narrative reasoning and the restorative power of naming. Health Communication. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2016.1234540. Advance online publication: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2016.1234540
• Harter, Lynn M., Broderick, M., Okamoto, K., Crawford, R. P., & Parsloe, S. (2016) Communicating health and healing through art. In Charsh, B., Geist-Martin, P., & Yamasaki, J., eds., Storied health and illness: Communicating personal, cultural and political complexities (pp. 121-140). Wadsworth: Belmont CA.
• Hosek, A., Crawford, R. P., & Vogl-Bauer, S. (2018). Cognitive approaches in the instructional context. In M. L. Houser & A. Hosek (Eds.), Handbook of instructional communication: Rhetorical and relational perspectives (2nd ed., pp. 209–220). Routledge.

Awards and Honors

• Cheris Kramarae Outstanding Dissertation Award, Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender 2019
• Maxwell Institute Summer Research Fellow, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 2019
• Department of Social and Public Health. Interdisciplinary Research Award, $1,920 LGB and Trans Access to and Quality of Mental Health Care. Role and Responsibilities: Co-Principal Investigator with Kristin Schuller, 2018
• Cooper Award Nominee. Central States Communication Association’s top honor for teaching Excellence. 2018
• Student Enhancement Award. Ohio University, competitively awarded funding for original student research. 2017
• Research Incentive Fund Award, $2,000. School of Communication Studies, Scripps College of Communication, competitively awarded funding for original student research. 2017
• Outstanding Teaching Associate Award, $500. School of Communication Studies, Scripps College of Communication, awarded once a year by faculty committee to the Graduate Teaching Assistant who best exemplifies teaching excellence 2017
• Graduate Student Leadership Award. School of Communication Studies, Scripps College of Communication, Peer-voted recognition awarded to graduate student demonstrating excellence in leadership and service to the department. 2017
• Roothbert Fellow, $2,500 Competitively awarded funding for research that supports a spiritual or ethical objective. 2016-2018
• Graduate Research Series Speaker, $200 Ohio University, Single award granted yearly by Graduate Student Senate in partnership with the Graduate College and Alden Library for most promising graduate research, 2017
• Travel Grant Award, $1,500 School of Communication Studies, Scripps College of Communication, Funding awarded for conference travel for promising paper and panel presentations. 2016-2017
• University Scholar, Brigham Young University Competitively awarded full-tuition, 4-year scholarship honoring excellence in scholastic achievement and performance. 1995-1999

University/Professional Service

• Governing Board Member, Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program, Athens, OH 2018- Present
• Research Collaborator, Conference Presenter, Volunteer, Equitas Health Institute, Research and Advocacy group for LGBTQ+ Health, Columbus, OH 2018-Present
• Reviewer, Women & Language, 2018
• Presenter, Teaching Training Academy Orientation, Taught incoming graduate teaching assistants Universal Design for Learning. Ohio University, 2017
• Planning Committee Member, Organizational Communication Mini Conference Organizational Communication Division, NCA. Helped organize housing, activities, pre-conference workshops. 2017
• Reviewer, Great Ideas for Teaching Students. National Communication Association. Gave feedback for 80+ Great Ideas for Teaching to help determine publication/presentation status. Spring 2016-Present
• Consultant, LDS Earth Stewards. Provided communication and outreach information and developed content for new website. 2016-2017
• Volunteer, National Communication Association. 2016-2018
• Qualitative Research Roundtable: Presenter, Ohio University, 2017
• Small Group Facilitator, Comprehensive City Plan Public Meeting. Athens, OH. 2017