Allison Thorson joined the faculty at USF in 2009 after
receiving her Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln. Prior to her work at UNL, she earned her M.A.
degree from Missouri State University in 2001 and her B.A. degree
from the University of Northern Iowa in 2000.
Prof. Thorson's research focuses on interpersonal and familycommunication with an emphasis in
how individuals and families communicatively manage and
maintain individual and relationship well-being in the aftermath of hurtful,unexpected, and non-normative events. Her current research projects center on
examining how the ripple effect of infidelity is communicatively
managed among family members and impacts family relationships, how
the communication surrounding financial setbacks both positively
and negatively impact children's spending/budgeting
behaviors, and how military deployment and return impedes and
improves family relationships and communication. Her work has been
published in The Journal of Marriage and Family, Communication
Studies and an edition of Communication for Families in Crisis:
Theories, Methods, and Strategies.
In addition to her research, Prof. Thorson teaches many courses
in the Communication Studies Department at USF: Communication and
Everyday Life, the Dark Side of Interpersonal / Family
Communication, Family Communication, Communication and Aging, and
Advanced Qualitative/Quantitative Research Methods. She is an
active member of the National Communication Association and the
Central States Communication Association. She also serves on
committees for the Child and Youth Studies Interdisciplinary minor
and the Gerontology Interdisciplinary minor at USF.
In addition to her work on campus, Prof. Thorson serves on the
Board of Directors of Kids' Turn (http://kidsturn.org), a
San Francisco Bay Area non-profit organization focused on helping
families when parents separate or divorce by reducing parental
conflict, alienation, and internalizing of negative feelings by
children. In addition to serving on the board, she also volunteers
as a leader for parent and child workshops on Emotional
Intelligence for this organization.
Links to current research
projects:
Prof. Thorson is currently conducting a study with Staff Sgt.
Rich Murphy, member of the 185 Air Refueling Wing and instructor at
Wayne State College, on the communication surrounding military
deployment and return. If you are 19-years-old or older and have a
spouse/partner (girlfriend or boyfriend) who has been deployed for
U.S. Military service at some point during the last 5 years of your
romantic relationship, please contact Allison at athorson@usfca.edu for more
information or visit http://www/surveymonkey.com/s/MilitaryDeployment
to participate.
Prof. Thorson is currently conducting a study on the memorable
messages concerning saving, budgeting, and financial planning. If
you are at least 18 years-old and report having received some form
of message regarding spending, budgeting, or financial planning
from a parent or any other individual at some point during your
life, contact Allison at athorson@usfca.edu for more
information or visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R6VVP7L
to participate.
