Biography

Jaye Atkinson (Ph.D., University of Kansas, 1996) is an Associate Professor whose social scientific research interests intersect the nexus of interpersonal communication and media portrayals, particularly as that convergence applies to older Americans. She is an affiliated faculty member with the GSU Gerontology Institute. Atkinson’s recent work seeks to understand the communication patterns of aging adults, both in their interactions with others as well as those portrayed in the mass media. Her research appears in the Journal of Aging Studies, Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Discourse Processes, Human Communication Research, Psychology and Aging, Research on Aging, Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, and Communication Studies.

Dr. Atkinson is local coordinator of the GSU GrandPanther program, which networks with older adults to encourage them to participate in gerontology research. She has also served as chair of the NCA Commission on Aging. Research Areas: Intergenerational Communication, Communication and Stereotypes. Degree Track Affiliations: Ph.D. (Public Communication), M.A. (Human Communication & Social Influence). Core Graduate Seminars Regularly Taught: Communication & Aging, Research Methods in Communication.