Tahleen Lattimer

After completing her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the Department of Communication at UB, Tahleen decided that there was no better fit for her than UB to pursue her PhD. Tahleen chose to stay in UB for her doctorate as well because of the ever-encouraging faculty and numerous research opportunities in which to be involved. She does not regret continuing her education in UB and can't think of any other program that could have suited her the best.

Tahleen worked as an undergraduate research assistant for former faculty Dr. Allison Shaw and as a teaching assistant to Dr. Kelly Tenzek. Towards the end of her undergraduate program, she started getting a taste of the research in the communication department and enjoyed it. Following her Bachelor's, she was accepted into the graduate program, allowing her to pursue her research interests. 

Although graduate school is demanding, the supportive faculty and peers at the department have provided Tahleen with a fantastic environment to further her education and thrive. She found that the program constantly challenged her and pushed her to stretch herself beyond what she normally would. The professors she worked with would push her to look at questions or problems  from a different vantage point than most people traditionally would. However, she always came out stronger and wiser after every challenging experience. 

Tahleen is currently a first-year PhD student in the department, and her research interest lies in health communication. She has specifically been studying end-of-life communication, under the guidance of her graduate program advisor Dr. Tenzek. Tahleen believes it is essential to talk about and research topics such as end-of-life, which are generally considered taboo.

In addition to her work at UB, Tahleen works as a research intern at Hospice Buffalo in the palliative care institute. Tahleen also presented at the Association for Death Education (ADEC) and National Communication Association (NCA) conferences along with her advisor, Dr. Tenzek. 

Tahleen looks forward to delving deeper into her research interest during the PhD program. She hopes to explore different avenues of research, contribute towards literature and teach in the future.

By: Vindhya Burugupalli