Kristina M. Scharp (Ph.D., University of Iowa) is an associate professor of communication in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University. Her research meets at the intersection of interpersonal, family, and health communication with a particular focus on difficult family transitions and the process of marginalization.Elizabeth Dorrance Hall (Ph.D., Purdue University) is a communication researcher and social scientist. She is an associate professor of communication at Michigan State University and director of the Family Communication and Relationships Lab. Her research focuses on difficult conversations and how close relationships evolve over time.