Karyn Jones

Biography

Dr. Jones has been a faculty member at Clemson University since 2002. Prior to joining the Public Health Sciences department in 2016, she was Associate Professor in Communication Studies, where she also served as department chair from 2011-2015. From 1994-1999, she worked as the communications consultant for the Georgia Division of Public Health, Cancer Control Section, advising local and state program staff on communication strategies and program administration in their breast and cervical screening programs. She has three children, one of whom has Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare, randomly-occurring genetic spectrum disorder, which has provided context and inspiration for much of her recent work.

Research Interest

Dr. Jones' current research interests are in persuasion, motivation, and interpersonal communication about health; agenda setting, media advocacy, social marketing, and media effects related to health; patient-provider communication; response to trauma; and communication and support needs in families of children with multiple or significant special needs. She is a team member on externally funded research examining effects of mHealth technology on diabetes care management (Ron Gimbel, PhD, lead investigator). She has experience conducting research in skin cancer education and primary prevention, effects of breast cancer communication on knowledge and behaviors, media coverage of disability and genetic syndromes, paid and nonpaid campaign strategies of candidates in local political races, and theory building in public relations academic scholarship.