Chloe Gonzales’s research explores how individuals and families adapt their communication as they navigate changing relationships and care needs, with particular attention to caregiving, dementia, and aging.
Chloe Gonzales is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Chloe studies both individual experiences and the relationships among people living with dementia, family members, and other individuals in the broader care partner network (e.g., paid caregivers, long-term care staff). She is interested in how communication helps people maintain relationships, coordinate care, and develop shared understandings of illness and caregiving. Her research also considers how these communication practices evolve over time as dementia progresses, relationships shift, and individuals must negotiate evolving needs and roles.
Ultimately, her research aims to deepen our understanding of the role communication plays in dementia care and to translate this understanding into practices that help families and care partners communicate and coordinate care more effectively. Through this work, she hopes to promote meaningful connection, strengthen individual and relational well-being, and contribute to advocacy of both the challenges and moments of connection that characterize dementia caregiving. Her work developing her theory of rhythmic synergy has been recognized with a Top Paper Award from the Family Communication Division and a Top Thesis Award from the Interpersonal Communication Division at the National Communication Association. She is currently on the job market.
B.S. (2021), University of Texas at Austin, Communication Studies
M.A. (2023), University of California Santa Barbara, Communication