Patricia Covarrubias, Ph.D.
Ph.D., University of Washington, 1999  Office: Room 220, 505-277-2166	Assistant Professor Communication

Research:

My current research interests are with American Indian students. Specifically, I am using the Ethnography of Communication to understand how American Indian university students' conceptualizations of "academic success" may contribute to problems with student retention. My current work also includes collecting narratives of racism in order to advance the study of race and communication. A narrative about some of my work on this can be read in the article "Culture Clash: Differences impact academic success." I am also interested in studying communicative silences from cultural/intercultural perspectives. I am also planning to continue my work with Latinist/Hispanic/Latino/Chicano(a) ways of communicating.

Sample Publications:

• Covarrubias, P. (Un)biased in Western Theory: Generative Silence in American Indian Communication, Communication Monographs, 74, 2, June 2007, pp. 265-271

• Covarrubias, P. (2006). “Homemade Talk: Language, Identity, and Other Mexican Legacies for a Son’s Intercultural Competence.” In Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz (Ed.), From Generation to Generation: Maintaining Cultural Identity Over Time. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

• Philipsen, G., Coutu, L. M., & Covarrubias, P. (2004). "Speech Codes Theory: Revision, Restatement, and Response to Criticisms". In William Gudykunst (Ed.), Theorizing About Communication and Culture. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

• Culture, Communication, and Cooperation: Interpersonal Relations and Pronominal Address in a Mexican Organization, (2002) Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.

• Covarrubias, P. (2000). "Of endearment and other terms of address: A Mexican perspective." In M. W. Lustig and J. Koester (Eds.), AmongUS: Essays On Identity, Belonging, and Intercultural Competence. New York: Longman (by invitation).

• Philipsen, G., Aoki, E., Castor, T., Coutu, L., Covarrubias, P., Jabs, L., Kane, M., & Winchatz, M. (1997). “Reading Ella Cara Deloria’s Waterlily for cultured speech.” Iowa Journal of Communication 29, 31-49.