Allison Thorson

Allison Thorson

Professor

Department Chair
Full-Time Faculty
Socials

Biography

Allison Thorson is a Professor of Communication Studies, Chair of the Department of Communication Studies, Director of the Interdisciplinary Committee on Children and Youth, and Director of the Child and Youth Studies Minor at University of San Francisco. Her research focuses on how individuals and families communicatively manage and maintain individual/relational well-being in the context of — often deemed taboo — unexpected, hurtful, or non-normative events (e.g., family communication surrounding parental infidelity) and underexplored relationship types (e.g., work-spouse relationships).

Thorson teaches courses on family communication, interpersonal communication, communication and aging, dark side, and research methods. Her recent research is published in journals such as Management Communication Quarterly, Journal of Family Communication, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, Family Relations, and Communication Studies. Thorson is a former executive committee member of the Central States Communication Association, and an active member of Central States Communication Association, National Communication Association, and Western States Communication Association.

Research Areas

  • Interpersonal communication
  • Family communication
  • Parent-child communication
  • Communication privacy management theory
  • Family communication patterns theory
  • Relationship maintenance
  • Shared family identity
  • Communication accommodation theory
  • Topic avoidance

Appointments

  • Program Director, Child and Youth Studies minor
  • Program Director, Gerontology Minor
  • Chair, Interdisciplinary Committee on Children and Youth
  • Committee Member, Interdisciplinary Committee on Aging

Education

  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln, PhD Communication Studies, 2009
  • Missouri State University, MA Communication and Mass Media, 2001
  • University of Northern Iowa, BA in Communication / Public Relations, 2000

Prior Experience

  • Interpersonal communication
  • Family communication
  • Parent-child communication
  • Communication privacy management theory
  • Family communication patterns theory
  • Relationship maintenance
  • Shared family identity
  • Communication accommodation theory
  • Topic avoidance

Awards & Distinctions

  • Central States Communication Association, Top Four Organizational Communication Interest Group Paper Award, 2021
  • Central States Communication Association, Diamond Anniversary Award for Top Competitive Paper in Organizational Communication Interest Group, 2019
  • Western States Communication Association, Top Four Interpersonal Communication Interest Group Paper Award, 2019
  • Milton Dickens Award for Exemplary Empirical Research in Communication Reports, 2016

Selected Publications