By Bri Brands  

When Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart, associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies, began a committed relationship with her now-husband, conversations with friends in committed relationships revealed a common challenge: navigating relationships with in-laws. 

"We all faced challenges with mothers-in-law 'letting go' of their sons, incorporating us into the family system, and figuring out how we could and should communicate with our future mothers-in-law," she said.  

Mikucki-Enyart has since turned her personal experience into a meaningful career researching the communication patterns of couples and families in times of transition and change.  

An understudied relationship  

After looking at the literature, Mikucki-Enyart discovered that the relationship with a partner's parents or in-laws was an understudied relationship.  

"My own personal experience was the impetus for my interest in in-law relationships, but seeing the lack of a sustained program of research kept me interested," she said. "There's so much to unpack in that relationship." 

Ultimately, Mikucki-Enyart’s goal is to understand how families navigate expected and unexpected transitions and help them maintain functional relationships. 

"I try to look at the ways that transitions in family life impact our thoughts and emotions about each other, and how we can use communication to facilitate that transition smoothly," she said.  

Across her research, she has found that these periods of change ignite uncertainties, shaping how people communicate or avoid communication, which ultimately has an effect on their relational well-being.  

Helping people in their daily lives

The University of Iowa’s status as an R1 research institution initially drew Mikucki-Enyart to the university, but the collaborative atmosphere is one of her favorite parts.  

"The Department of Communication Studies at Iowa has such a rich history in the field, and there have been some amazing scholars and faculty to come out of the department," Mikucki-Enyart said. "To be part of an important department in our field and have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty is amazing." 

In addition to collaborating with colleagues, Mikucki-Enyart values the opportunity to mentor graduate students, drawing on the support she received from her own mentors as a student. 

Whether it's supporting graduate students in their research endeavors, giving undergraduate students new tools for communication, or sharing her research with the public, Mikucki-Enyart loves to see how her work impacts others in such a positive manner.  

"Taking research out of the theoretical domain is really fun, but being able to help people in their daily lives is the most rewarding part," she said.