Dr. Jocelyn DeGroot is a Professor and Assistant Chair in the Department of Applied Communication Studies. She earned her Ph.D. in Communication Studies from Ohio University and her B.S. and M.S. in Communication Studies from South Dakota State University. She teaches a variety of courses specializing in interpersonal communication and computer-mediated communication at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She was recognized with the Teaching Distinction Award at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2013 and 2018 and has received Top Paper awards at regional and national conferences. She was a recipient of the Franklin H. Knower Outstanding Article Award in 2021. Her research interests include computer-mediated communication and communicative issues of grief and loss. Dr. DeGroot has published in several journals, including Communication Research, Communication Teacher, Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, Death Studies, Men’s Studies, and has book chapters in Blogging in the Global Society and Dark Side of Communication Contexts. Her research has been featured in The New York Times, Fortune, WebMD Magazine, Prevention Magazine, and Psychology Today. More information about her scholarship can be found at jocelyndegroot.com

A South Dakota native, Josie is fond of flat land and a little bit of snow every now and again. She also enjoys watching reality television, creating art, and going to the ends of the Internet. Josie lives in Edwardsville with her husband, Derrick Brown, their children, Preston and Anastasia (AJ), and their dog, Walter.