Pamela J. Lannutti, PhD

  • Professor and Director, Center for Human Sexuality Studies
Media Expertise:
  • Gender & Sexuality
  • Psychology & Mental Health
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Affiliated Programs

Education

  • PhD, Communication (2001)
    The University of Georgia (GA)
  • MA, Communication (1997)
    The University of Georgia (GA)
  • BA, Communication (1995)
    La Salle University (PA)

About Me

I am a social scientist who studies communication in personal relationships, with an emphasis on the relationships of LGBTQ+ people. I have been studying communication in personal relationships for over 20 years and my work has appeared in communication and interdisciplinary journals including Human Communication Research, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, and Personal Relationships.  My research has been recognized with various awards, including the Randy Majors Memorial Award for Distinguished GLBTQ Communication Scholarship. I have extensive academic editorial experience, including editing Communication Quarterly, the flagship journal of the Eastern Communication Association. I am active in the International Association for Relationship Research, the National Communication Association, and the Eastern Communication Association.

I enjoy working collaboratively on research with faculty and student colleagues. I hope to engage students not only in thinking critically, but working to improve the ways they communicate their ideas and engage with others inside and outside of the classroom.

Research Interests

I envision communication as a central process in our relational lives, not just a variable. I use a variety of methods to study communication in personal relationships. The majority of my research has focused on LGBTQ+ relational communication, especially the way that socio-cultural factors and shifts, such as marriage equality, affect these relationships. I am also especially interested in studying family communication, especially for marginalized families.

Media Expertise

  • LGBTQ+ issues and relationships
  • Family relationships
  • Romantic relationships

Publications

  • Lannutti, P. J. & Galupo, M. P. (Eds.) (2019).  The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and the LGBTQ Community. New York: Routledge.
  • Lannutti, P. J. (2018).  Committed, unmarried same-sex couples and their social networks in the U.S.: Relationships and discursive strategies.  Journal of Homosexuality, 65, 1232-1248. DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2017.1411690
  • Lannutti, P. J. (2014).  Experiencing Same-sex Marriage:  Individuals, Couples, and Social Networks.  New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
  • Lannutti, P. J. (2013). Same-sex marriage and privacy management:  Examining couples' communication with family members.  Journal of Family Communication, 13, 60-75.  DOI: 10.1080/15267431.2012.742088

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

  • International Association for Relationship Research
  • National Communication Association
  • Eastern Communication Association

Awards

  • Gerald R. Miller Book Award in Interpersonal Communication, NCA Interpersonal COM Division (2016)
  • Eastern Communication Association Distinguished Research Fellow, ECA (2015)
  • Randy Majors Memorial Award for Distinguished GLBTQ Communication Scholarship, NCA (2014)

News

In the Media

Noteworthy

  • Center for Human Sexuality Studies

    Human Sexuality Professor Named as IARR Fellow

    Pamela Lannutti, professor and director of the Center for Human Sexuality Studies, has been named an International Association for Relationship Research (IARR) Fellow. 

    Fellow status is awarded to IARR members who have made sustained, outstanding contributions to the field of scientific research into relationships in the areas of research, teaching, service, and application. Candidates must have completed at least ten years of postdoctoral contribution to be considered. 

    Read more: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/human-sexuality-professor-named-iarr-fellow 

  • Center for Human Sexuality Studies

    Human Sexuality Professor Studies Impact of COVID-19 on Personal Relationships

    Pamela Lannutti, professor and director of the Center for Human Sexuality Studies, is first author on a the article “Relationships in the time of COVID-19: Examining the effects of the global pandemic on personal relationships” which published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. This article, which includes 29 research articles with authors and samples from 28 countries across all continents except Anatricia, looks at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal relationships including romantic relationships, family relationships, friendships, and relationships with strangers.

    Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/human-sexuality-professor-studies-impact-covid-19-personal-relationships