Mike Dennis

Mike Dennis received his M.A. in Public Affairs and Issue Management and his Ph.D. in Health Communication from Purdue University. For 16 years, he was a Professor of Communication at Emporia State University, where he taught Health Communication, Theories of Communication, Communication and Sports, Capstone Course in Communication Research Methods, Risk Communication, and Public Speaking. He now teaches Interpersonal Communication as a Lecturer at KU. His health communication scholarship examines how communication assists in coping with loss and grief. Many of his articles and chapters analyze grief and bereavement in cultural texts such as eulogies, self-help books, television programs, elegies, and the popular fiction and non-fiction books he has labeled “grief accounts.” He has also investigated communication strategies (e.g., cereal box health claims, statistics versus stories, compliance-gaining appeals between romantic partners) for inspiring healthy behavior, as well as social support practices in breast cancer support groups, AMC’s Mad Men, and Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum.