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Bailey Oliver Blackburn, PhD is an associate professor and the graduate coordinator for the online MA in Applied Communication and the Conflict Management Graduate Certificate programs within the Department of Applied Communication at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She holds a PhD in Human Communication, with a focus in restructured family communication. She is a published researcher, professor, and certified group facilitator in the fields of conflict transformation and family resilience. She teaches mostly graduate courses across negotiation, conflict analysis and intervention, and mediation, and undergraduate courses in family communication, conflict management, and rhetoric. Her publications focus on cultivating positive and resilient stepfamily relationships and civil community listening. Her facilitation and public speaking experience primarily focuses on conflict management, emotional intelligence, leadership skills, and promoting more collaborative work environments.

Professional Website:

Ph.D., Arizona State University, Hugh Downs School of Human Communication

M.A., University of Alabama, College of Communication & Information Sciences

B.A., University of Alabama, Telecommunication & Film

Certified Group Facilitator Certificate, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, School of Public Affairs

Certified Mediator Certificate, Mediate University

Oliver-Blackburn, B. M., Chatham-Carpenter, A., & Thompson, C. (2025). Community Listening: The Nexus of & Listening within Civic Communities. In Community Listening: Stories, Hauntings, and Possibilities (2025 Outstanding Book Award for the Coalition for Community Writing). WAC Clearinghouse. DOI: 10.37514/PER-B.2025.2531

Mirivel, J. C. & Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2024). How Positive Communication Creates Peak Communicative Moments. In C. L. Fisher, C. Fowler, J. Krieger, M. J. Pitts, A. K. Worthington, & J. F. NussBaum (Eds.), Health Communication, Language, and Social Action Across the Lifespan.

Braithwaite, D. O. & Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2024). Communicating to Create Healthy and Resilient Family Relationships. Family Focus, Issue FF101.

Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2024). Half-Sibling Relationships and Family Communication. In Matthew Powers (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Braithwaite, D. O., & Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2024). Intimacy in blended families: Close relationships with parents, siblings, and extended members of the family. In M. Hojjat & A. Moyer (Eds.). Modern relationships: The evolution of romance, friendship, and family (pp. 291-308). Oxford University Press.

Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2024). How communication is key to building resilience. Featured article on the Human Performance & Resources by CHAMP website, a website for U.S. military service members and family.

Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2023). 鈥淪tepping in & Stepping Beyond: Negotiating Fatherhood in Discourse Dependent Families鈥�. In Communicating Fatherhood: New Direction in Theory, Research, and Education. Peter Lang International. DOI: 10.3726/b18244

Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2023). Stepchild-Stepparent Relationships and Resilience. In Matthew Powers (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2023). Developmental stages in stepfamilies. Marriage and Divorce in America: Issues, Trends, & Controversies. ABC-CLIO: Santa Barbara, CA.

Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2023). Half siblings, stepsiblings, & divorce. Marriage and Divorce in America: Issues, Trends, & Controversies. ABC-CLIO: Santa Barbara, CA.

Braithwaite, D. O., Schrodt, P., & Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2022). Becoming a Real Family: Turning Points and Competing Discourses in Stepfamilies. In Casing Interpersonal Communication: Case Studies in Personal and Social Relationships, 3rd edition. Kendall-Hunt.

Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. & Chatham-Carpenter, A. (2022). 鈥淏ut I Don鈥檛 Know if I Want to Talk to You鈥�: Strategies to Foster Conversational Receptiveness across the United States鈥� Political Divide. Journal of Applied Communication Research.

Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. & Chatham-Carpenter, A. (2022). 鈥淟ocating & Dispelling Inaccurate Attributions amongst the Political Divide: A Case Study of Braver Angels鈥� Activities鈥�. In Casing Conflict Communication. Kendall Hunt Publishing.

Oliver-Blackburn, B. M., Braithwaite, D. O., Waldron, V. R., Hall, R., Hackenburg, L., Worman, B. (2022). Protector and friend: Turning points and discursive construction of the stepparent role. Family Relations, 71(3), 1266-1285.

Waldron, V. R., Braithwaite, D. O., Oliver-Blackburn, B. M., Avalos, B. L. (2021). Paths to Positivity: Relational Trajectories and Interaction in Positive Stepparent-Stepchild Dyads. Journal of Family Communication, 21(1), 33-54.

Braithwaite, D. O., Schrodt, P., & Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2021). Stepfamilies as developed and enacted in communication. In Routledge Handbook of Family Communication, 3rd edition. Routledge.

Mongeau, P. A., Henningsen, M. L. M., & Oliver-Blackburn, B. M. (2021). Uncertainty, Stage Model, and Turning Point Approaches to Relationships鈥� Lifespan. In D. O. Braithwaite & P. Schrodt (Eds.), Engaging Theories in Interpersonal Communication: Multiple Perspectives (pp. 328-341). Taylor & Francis. DOI: 10.4324/9781003195511-29

Waldron, V. R., Braithwaite, D. O., Oliver, B. M., Kloeber, D. N., Marsh, J. (2018). Discourses of Forgiveness and Resilience in Stepchild-Stepparent Relationships. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 46(5), 561-582.

Braithwaite, D. O., Waldron, V. R., Allen, J., Oliver, B. M., Berquist, G., Brockhage, K., Marsh, J., Swords, N., Tschampl-Diesing, C. (2018). 鈥淔eeling warmth and close to her鈥�: Communication and resilience reflected in turning points in positive adult stepchild-stepparent relationships. Journal of Family Communication, 18(2), 92-109.

Oliver, B. M. (2013). Professional presentations & technology. In Bennett, B. (Eds.), Public Speaking. Online Access. Dubuque, IA: Great River Technologies.

Metro Little Rock Guide Magazine Featured Citizen, 2025.

Annette Shelby Endowed Speaker. 鈥淩esilient Family Relationships: Healthy Communication Practices for Couples, Parents & Stepfamilies鈥�. Chosen as the 2025 speaker by University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Communication Studies, 2025.

Rising Faculty Award for Excellence Winner, College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences & Education. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, 2023. /news/2023/03/10/chasse-honors-faculty/#more-84609

Teaching Fellow Award. Awarded by the Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence (ATLE). 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, 2021.

Professional Development Certificate. Awarded by the Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence (ATLE). 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, 2020.

Sandra Petronio Dissertation Excellence Award. Awarded by the Family Communication Division at the National Communication Association Conference, 2019.

Undergraduate Courses:

COMM 42373 Family Communication
COMM 32373 Conflict Management
COMM 31673 Interviewing
HNRS 100H3 Rhetoric Communication (first year experience course for the Donaghey Scholars Program)

Graduate Courses:

COMM 72903/PADM 72903 Mediation
COMM 72473 Negotiation
COMM 72373 Conflict Analysis & Intervention
COMM 52373 Family Communication

International Association of Relationship Research
National Communication Association
Western States Communication Association

Public/Discipline Service

Editorial Board Member, Journal of Family Transitions

Reviewer for Journal of Family Communication, Western Journal of Communication, Family Relations, Journal聽of Family Issues, Journal of Social & Personal Relationships, Journal of Family Transitions (formerly the聽Journal of Divorce & Remarriage)

Paper Reader, Family Communication Division, National Communication Association

Featured Researcher/Podcast Guest, “Stepmums: Why do they get such a hard time?鈥�. Ladies We Need to Talk Podcast. Sponsored by Australian Broadcast Company

Featured Researcher/Podcast Guest, RedRocks Relationship Podcast. Sponsored by Utah Tech University

Research Expert and Speaker, Stepfamily Magazine & the annual Stepmom Summit

Research Expert & Developer, Utah Marriage Commission & State of Utah鈥檚 Stepfamily READY.

University Service

Graduate Council, Elected Member

Graduate Curriculum Committee, Member

Donaghey Scholars Program Policy Council, Member

Undergraduate Council, Former Elected Member

Committee on Committees, Former Member

Online Campus Advisory Board, Former Elected Member

College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences & Education Service

CHASSE Graduate Curriculum Committee

Awards Committee, Former Member

Departmental Service

Conflict Management Graduate Certificate Program Assessment Committee, Member

Student Success & Curriculum Committee, Member