Deborah Thomson

Woman wearing glasses and brown jacket over pattern multi-colored shirts. Woman is looking at the camera and smiling. She is outside.

Associate Professor

Education:
Ph.D. Communication Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2005
M.A. Speech Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1993
B.A. Speech Communication and Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1991

Courses Taught:
Introduction to Communication; Small Group Communication; Public Speaking; Gender and Communication; Intercultural Communication; Global Communication; Business and Professional Communication; Media, Culture and Society; Puppet Shows that Make a Difference! (Honors seminar). Graduate courses taught: Communication Pedagogy; Communication Approaches to Health Advocacy; Media and Health Communication.

Research Interests:
Dr. Thomson analyzes communication, performance, and digital media from a critical/cultural perspective, examining how persuasive design and gamblification in digital games and interactive advertising enact capitalist logics that shape attention, participation, and meaning-making online. She also researches communication pedagogy and performance-based learning. She is developing The Values Project, an applied-learning initiative that uses performance techniques to help students build teamwork and leadership skills while engaging in reflective character development.

Scholarly Work/Publications:
Dr. Thomson’s work has been published in: Health Communication, Critical Studies in Media Communication, Text and Performance Quarterly, Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies, Southern Communication Journal, Carolinas Communication Annual, Communication Teacher, and the book The Dark Side of Stand-Up Comedy.