Dr. Metts is full professor.

Research Interests:
Dr. Metts' primary research interests include social support processes, sexual communication, and politeness theory, particularly as it is enacted in personal relationships. Her research methods tend to be a combination of survey and/or experimental designs, sometimes employing conversational analysis for questions dealing with the structure of supportive episodes. Recent research dealing with the experiences of HIV-positive individuals involved indepth interviews analyzed from a narrative perspective.

Teaching Interests:
Dr. Metts teaches several classes in the Speech Communication area. Her favorite classes include Psychology of Language, Theory and Research in Interpersonal Communication, graduate seminars in Interpersonal Communication, and a recently taught special topic course on Emotional Communication.