Ashley K. Barrett, Ph.D.

Education

• Ph.D., Organizational Communication and Technology, The University of Texas at Austin
• M.A., Organizational Communication, Baylor University
• B.A., Political Science, Baylor University

Courses

• CSS 1302: Public Speaking for Business and Professional Students
• CSS 3301: Organizational Communication
• CSS 3304: Small Group Communication
• CSS 3310: Communication Theory
• CSS 3315: Health Communication
• CSS 4308: Advanced Organizational Communication

Research Interests

My primary research interests involve studying the intersections of time, communication, and technology implementation and use in healthcare organizations. I also investigate identity negotiation and identity conflicts in the workplace and seek to further understand what makes work “meaningful" to people in different organizational and national cultures.

I recently received a National Science Foundation CAREER grant that examines patient-provider communication with an emphasis on how advanced information technology implementation can impact compassionate communication and care in healthcare organizations, especially for marginalized patient populations that face additional healthcare literacy and access barriers.

I am using this research to create to generate compassionate healthcare communication undergraduate and graduate courses for pre-medical, communication, and medical humanities students, as well as for working professionals in health-related fields. This research has also been published in several academic journals, including Communication Monographs, Health Communication, Management Communication Quarterly, Patient Education & Counseling, Information, Technology & People, among others. 

Teaching Philosophy

Education should be challenging but doable, and my goal is to encourage students to prioritize learning (not just grades) by infusing novelty and current events into my educational strategies. I strongly advocate the idea that education and learning are not defined by a classroom, but instead realized through an awareness of surroundings and a desire for intellectual challenges and growth. As such, I strive to improve the learning experiences of students by creating working relationships with the Baylor and Waco communities. For example, in Small Group Communication (CSS 3304), my students work with nonprofits in the Waco area to accomplish diverse projects grounded in communication, such as coordinating fundraising events, facilitating common ground in periods of mergers, formulating marketing strategies and PR campaigns, and learning how to become skilled in website design. Through these assignments, students gain valuable real-world experience in group collaboration, decision-making, conflict, creativity, and organizational change and technology.

University & Departmental Service

I currently serve on Baylor’s Global Health Committee where I work with other faculty across Baylor to generate cross-disciplinary collaborations and meaningful intersections for global health research. I am also a member of Baylor's AI Working Group, which has been tasked with gathering insights and feedback surrounding AI use and issues here at Baylor. Finally, I enjoy connecting and supporting graduate students in my role as Graduate Program Director in our department!

Professional Service

I partner with two leading healthcare organizations — Baylor Scott & White Health-Hillcrest and Waco Family Medicine — to advance compassionate patient-provider communication research and practice. Through these collaborations, I lead projects that examine how frontline healthcare providers navigate and adapt advanced information technologies--such as electronic health records, patient portals, and AI tools--to sustain relationship-centered care. This professional partnership aims to identify provider workarounds that enable empathy and human connection even amidst digital constraints. This research is being used to design a continuing medical education (CME) course and to create a compassionate communication workshop at multiple healthcare sites across Texas. These professional service activities reflect my commitment to translating academic research into practical strategies that improve provider well-being, patient outcomes, and the future of healthcare delivery.

Family, Outside Hobbies, and Interests

In my free time, I enjoy traveling in every direction and as far as expenses will allow. My favorite destinations so far have included Český Krumlov (Czech Republic), the Gold Coast (Australia), and Krakow (Poland), to name a few. When at home, and not in the classroom, I enjoy spending valuable time with my family of four! We have big sister, Sloane (born in 2021) and little brother, Barrett (born in 2024). They certainly keep us busy!  I also enjoy my border-collie Mix, Gabby. I recused her from Guatemala when there on a Baylor Mission trip in 2018!  Other interests include college sports (Go Bears!), water and snow skiing. By moonlight, I am a completely unlicensed botanist. I find peace and joy in nurturing things and watching them thrive! 

What is the best thing about being a Baylor Bear?

Everything! Baylor has always felt like a family to me. Every one of my immediate family members (grandparents included) attended Baylor-several of them earning advanced degrees. Therefore, being a Baylor bear is a prized quality I share with the ones I love most. In addition, Baylor also feels like a symbolic family in that the university environment pushes you to learn more and reach your full potential, and yet provides resources of support and comfort around every corner. Very proud to be a bear.