Rebecca M. Rice
I am an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I received my Ph.D. from University of Colorado Boulder and my M.A. from University of Montana.
My research focuses on risk, crisis, and emergency organizing. My work is particularly focused on interorganizational crisis collaboration and high reliability organizations--in other words, how organizations work together during an emergencies. Collaboration is incredibly important as complex and accumulating disasters require multiple organizations to respond. This research is guided by an interest in authority and power negotiations among organizations dealing with crises. Additionally, I study public interaction with security organizations, media representations of security work, and sensemaking after crises.
My recent course offerings include: Organizational Communication, Interviewing, Leadership Communication, Communication Theory, and Qualitative Research Methods.
Check out more about my teaching here or read a summary of recent research here. See all my research on Google Scholar here.
Recent News:
April 2024: My book, Communicating Authority in Interorganizational Collaboration, is now available in paperback.
August 2023: I am now a research affiliate for the newly created UNLV Tourist Safety Institute.
January 2023: Check out my co-authored blog series about Environmental Communication and wildfires here.
December 2022: My article was a finalist for Management Communication Quarterly article of the year.
May 2022: I received the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs Dean's Research Award.
December 2021: Check out my interview in Vox about supporting employees during crises
September 2021: Check out my interview in Science Magazine about how to engage with crisis management in your career.
January 2021: I received a sheriff's commendation for my research during the COVID-19 pandemic.