Dr. Michelle Miller-Day

Dr Michelle Miller-Day

Professor Director, Health and Strategic Communication Program; Graduate Director
School of Communication; Communication Studies
Expertise: Mother-Daughter Communication; Drug Prevention; Family Communication; Narratives in Health; Translational Research
Office Location: Doti Hall 213
Scholarly Works:
Digital Commons
Education:
University of Southern California, Bachelor of Arts
Arizona State University, Master of Arts
University of Southern California, Master of Fine Arts
Arizona State University, Ph.D.

Biography

Michelle Miller-Day (Ph.D., Arizona State University) is a Professor of Communication Studies at Chapman University in Orange, California. Dr. Miller-Day’s research is at the intersection of interpersonal and family communication and health communication. She is particularly interested in the topics of mental health, submissive communication, and substance use prevention.

Dr. Miller-Day and colleagues developed one of the most successful evidence-based substance use prevention programs in the United States and reaches more than two million youth worldwide. She has also served as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI on a number of research grants to investigate or evaluate programs addressing issues at the intersection of health and communication and she has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, books, and chapters in a variety of outlets.

A sampling of Miller-Day publications:

Books

  • Alford, A. & Miller-Day, M. (Eds.) (2019). Constructing motherhood and daughterhood across the lifespan. New York, NY: Peter Lang.
  • Miller-Day, M. (Ed.) (2010). Family communication, connections, and health transitions: Going through this together.  Health Communication Series, Vol. 1. G. Kreps (series editor). New York, NY: Peter Lang.
  • Nussbaum, J., Miller-Day, M., & Fisher, C. (2009). Communicating intimacy in older adulthood. Editorial Aresta Publishers.
  • Nussbaum, J.F., Miller-Day, M. & Fisher, C. (2009). Les relacions intimes en la madursa.  Girona, Spain: Editorial Aresta.
  • Miller-Day, M. (2004). Communication among grandmothers, mothers, and adult daughters: A qualitative study of women across three generations. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishing.
  • Miller, M., Alberts, J. K., Hecht, M. L., Trost, M., & Krizek, R. L. (2000).  Adolescent relationships and drug use. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishing.

Sampling of book chapters

Miller-Day, M., Ray, A. E., Hecht, M.L., & Turissi, R. (2022). Strengthening Families through Web-Based Interventions: Developing and Assessing Feasibility of the “Parenting Now!” Program. In M. R. McGinley, J. K.

Burk, J.S. Ward (Eds.) Communicating with our Families: Technology as Continuity, Interruption, and Transformation. Lexington.

Miller-Day, M., & Hecht, M. L. (2022). Keepin’ it REAL when Developing Narrative Health Messages (pp. 149-164). In A. Goodboy and K. Schultz (Eds.), Introduction to Communication Studies: Translating Scholarship into Meaningful Practice. 2nd edition. Kendall/Hunt.

Miller-Day, M. (2021). At the crossroads of prevention: Promoting child and adolescent health. In T. Socha and N. Punyanunt-Carter (Eds.). Communication begins with children: A lifespan communication sourcebook (p. 279-298). Oxford: Peter Lang International.

Miller-Day, M., Hecht, M. L., & Pettigrew, J. (2020). “It’s a process”: Designing the “keepin’ it REAL” adolescent substance use prevention intervention (pp.). In M. Feinberg (Ed.) Designing Effective Prevention and Public Health Programs. New York: Taylor & Francis.

Miller-Day, M. (2019). Memorable moments: Turning points in the mother-daughter relationship from childhood to mid-life. In A. Alford and M. Miller-Day (Eds). Constructing motherhood and daughterhood across the lifespan. New York, NY: Peter Lang.

Shin, Y., Miller-Day, M., & Hecht, M. L. (2018). Media literacy and parent-adolescent communication about alcohol in media: Effects on adolescent alcohol use. In D. O’Hair (Ed.). Risk and health communication in an evolving media environment (pp. 12-21). New York, NY: Routledge.

Miller-Day, M. (2018). Necessary Convergence Communication Theory: Submission and power in family communication (221-232). In. D. O. Braithwaite, E. A. Suter, and K. Floyd (Eds.) Engaging theories in family communication: Multiple perspectives (2nd edition). New York, NY: Routledge.

Miller-Day, M., Dorros, S., and Day, D. (2016) The Impact of Maternal and Paternal Communication Dominance on Offspring’s Negative Self-Talk, Depression, and Suicidality (p. 27-47). In L. Olson and M. Fine (Eds.) The Darker Side of Family Communication: The Harmful, the Morally Suspect, and the Socially Inappropriate. New York, NY: Peter Lang.

Miller-Day, M. (2016). Connecting substance use and health with personal stories. In J. Yamasaki, P. Geist Martin, & B. F. Sharf (Eds.), Storied health and illness: Personal, cultural, and political complexities (pp. 18-21). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.

Sparks, L., & Miller-Day, M. (2014). Methodological approaches when investigating health disparities. In B. B. Whaley (ed.), Research methods in health communication: Principles and application (pp. 318-335). New York, NY: Routledge.

Miller-Day, M., Fisher, C. L., & Stube, J. (2013). Looking back and moving forward: Toward an understanding of mother-daughter and mother-son relationships (p. 1-18). In K. Floyd and M. Morman (Eds.) Widening the family circle II: New research on family communication. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Miller-Day, M., Nussbaum, J., & Fisher, C. (2012). “Holding each other all night long”: Communicating intimacy in older adulthood. In T. Socha and M. J. Pitts (Eds). The Positive Side of Communication. Peter Lang Publishing.

Miller-Day, M. (2013). Two of me: Mothers and daughters in connection. In A. Deakins, R. Lockridge, and H. Sterk (Eds.), Mothers and daughters: Complicated connections across cultures (pp.89-104). Lanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield Publishers

Miller-Day, M., & Hecht, M. L. (2013). Keepin’ it REAL when Developing Narrative Health Messages (pp. 149-164). In A. Goodboy and K. Schultz (Eds.), Introduction to Communication Studies: Translating Scholarship into Meaningful Practice. Kendall/Hunt.

Fisher, C, Miller-Day, M. & Nussbaum, J. (2012). Healing through Healthy Doses of Positivity: Mothers’ and Daughters’ Positive Communication When Coping with Breast Cancer. In T. Socha and M. J. Pitts (Eds). Positive Communication in Health and Wellness. Peter Lang Publishing

Miller-Day, M. (2012). Toward conciliation: Institutional review board practices and qualitative interview research (p. 495 – 508). In J. F. Gubrium, J. A. Holstein, A. B. Marvasti, and K. D. McKinney (Eds.),The SAGE handbook of interview research: The complexity of the craft. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

Recent Creative, Scholarly Work and Publications

Miller-Day, M. & Alford, A. (2024). Mothering and daughtering across the adult life course. In T. Socha (Ed). Palgrave Handbook of Positive Communication for Livable Futures. Palgrave Macmillan.
Live Performance Role: Marie, Play: "Such Small Hands" (2020) by Adam Szymkowicz. Location: Chance Theater
Turissi, R., Ray, A., Hecht, M.L., & Miller-Day, M. (2021) (Developers). REAL Parenting Talk. [Ten online, self-paced e- learning modules commissioned by the National Institutes of Health to enhance to enhance parent-teen communication about alcohol use and prevent misuse for older teens].
Hecht, M.L., Greene, K. Ray, A., Pristavec, T., Miller-Day, M. & Banerjee, S. C. (2021). Comparing self-report, observational, and program analytic data as measures of engagement in an online learning, active involvement intervention to reduce substance use among adolescents. Educational Technology Research and Development.
Greene, K., Ray, A., Hecht, M.L., Miller-Day, M. (2020) (Developers). REAL Media-O: REAL Media education on Opioids. [Five online, self-paced e- learning modules commissioned by the National Institutes of Health to enhance media literacy surrounding pain medication marketing].
Miller-Day, M., (Writer/Producer) & Hecht, M.L. (Producer) (2020). HPV Men’s Stories. [4 short films addressing HPV vaccination for young men. Commissioned by Merck to prevention HPV infection for young men.]
Miller-Day, M. (2020). At the Crossroads of Prevention: Promoting Children’s and Adolescent’s Health. In Punyanunt-Carter, X and Socha, T. (Eds.) Communication Begins with Children. Peter Lang.
Miller-Day, M., Hecht, M. L., & Pettigrew, J. (2020). “It’s a process”: Designing the “keepin’ it REAL” adolescent substance use prevention intervention (pp.). In M. Feinberg (Ed.) Designing Effective Prevention and Public Health Programs. New York: Taylor & Francis.
Ray, A. E., Greene, K., Hecht, M. L., Barriage, S. C., Miller-Day, M., Glenn, S. D., & Banerjee, S. C. (2019). An e-learning adaptation of an evidence-based media literacy curriculum to prevent youth substance use in community groups: Development and feasibility of REAL media. Journal of Medical Internet Research: Formative Research, 3(2). doi:10.2196/12132
Miller-Day, M., & Grainger, D. (2019). Motherless daughters and the communication of grief and comfort. In A. Alford and M. Miller-Day (Eds). Constructing motherhood and daughterhood across the lifespan (pp.295-310). New York, NY: Peter Lang.
Miller-Day, M., Tukachinsky, R., & Jacobs, S. (2019). Reel mothers and daughters. In A. Alford and M. Miller-Day (Eds). Constructing motherhood and daughterhood across the lifespan (p. 57-74). New York, NY: Peter Lang.
Miller-Day, M. (Producer/Editor), Ahle, A (Writer) (2018). Lost and Found [Stageplay]. Produced at the Chance Theatre.
Greene, K., Ray, A., Hecht, M.L., Miller-Day, M. (2017). REAL Media: Enhancing alcohol and tobacco media literacy curriculum [Five e-learning modules].
Sparks, L., & Miller-Day, M. (2014). Methodological approaches when investigating health disparities. In B. B. Whaley (ed.), Research methods in health communication: Principles and application (pp. 318-335). New York, NY: Routledge.
Hecht, M.L. & Miller-Day, M. (2014). Narrative Engagement Theory. In T. Thompson (Ed.) The encyclopedia of health communication (p. 909-911). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Miller-Day, M. (2014). Mother Daughter Dyad Communication. In T. Thompson (Ed.) The encyclopedia of health communication (p. 893-896). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Miller-Day, M., Fisher, C. L., & Stube, J. (2013). Looking back and moving forward: Toward an understanding of mother-daughter and mother-son relationships. In K. Floyd and M. Morman (Eds.) Widening the family circle II: New research on family communication. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Miller-Day, M., Nussbaum, J., & Fisher, C. (2013). “Holding each other all night long”: Communicating intimacy in older adulthood. In T. Socha and M. J. Pitts (Eds). The Positive Side of Communication. Peter Lang Publishing.
Miller-Day, M. (2013). Two of me: Mothers and daughters in connection. In A. Deakins, R. Lockridge, and H. Sterk (Eds.), Mothers and daughters: Complicated connections across cultures (pp.89-104). Lanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield Publishers
Fisher, C, Miller-Day, M. & Nussbaum, J. (2012). Healing through Healthy Doses of Positivity: Mothers’ and Daughters’ Positive Communication When Coping with Breast Cancer. In T. Socha and M. J. Pitts (Eds). Positive Communication in Health and Wellness. Peter Lang Publishing
Miller-Day, M. (2012). Toward conciliation: IRB practices and qualitative interview research. In J. Gubrium, J. Holstein. A. Marvasti, & K. McKinney (Ed.) The Handbook of Interview Research (2nd edition).
Miller-Day, M., & Hecht, M. L. (2012). Keepin’ it REAL when Developing Narrative Health Messages (pp. 149-164). In A. Goodboy and K. Schultz (Eds.), Introduction to Communication Studies: Translating Scholarship into Meaningful Practice. Kendall/Hunt.
Miller-Day, M., & Hecht. M.L. (2011) (Producers). DARE’s keepin it REAL videos: 5th Grade. Eighteen video productions for curriculum.