Dr. Riki Thompson, PhD

Dr. Riki Thompson is a consultant and Associate Professor of Digital Rhetoric & Writing Studies in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Science at the University of Washington. She is an internationally recognized communication and internet researcher with expertise in online dating and digital literacies whose work contributes to understanding how people find connection and belonging through communication literacy. Her work is especially interested in uncovering how people become excluded and marginalized in digital spaces due to technology design and digital literacies. As an interdisciplinary scholar, Dr. Thompson’s body of work has focused on a variety of topics including online dating, selfies, self-branding, social media, identity, gender, non-monogamy, polyamory, digital storytelling, web design, blogging, mental health, trauma writing, men’s depression, disability, self-improvement, research methods, comics, literacy, teacher training, and teaching with technology. Her current research is a book project titled Digital Dating: Discourse and Design in the Search for Love and Sex Online which examines the intersections of technology, identity, gender, sexuality, and normativity.

Dr. Thompson’s work has been featured in various academic and media venues. As a public scholar, Dr. Thompson’s work has been published and translated in over 20 news outlets, including The Conversation, Salon, and the Seattle Times. She has been interviewed to speak about online dating shifts during the pandemic for a feature on Vox as well as podcasts and radio shows including Boise State Public Radio. Her academic scholarship can be found in well-respected journals such as Visual Communication and Journal of Language and Sexuality. Dr. Thompson is also a recognized innovator in teaching with technology, garnering multiple accolades and nominations for distinguished teaching. For over 20 years she has taught college courses on writing, digital literacies, visual rhetoric, writing through comics, and research methods, as well as trained teachers in language arts, teaching with technology, and assessment. Dr. Thompson earned multiple degrees at the University of Washington including a PhD and an MA in Language and Rhetoric, a BA in English, and a BBA in Business Management. Dr. Thompson can be reached at www.rikithompson.com

Sub-specialties:
Online communication, Digital communication, Internet research, Internet, Social media, Language & social media, Visual communication, Online dating, Self-representation & identity, Gender & sexuality, Non-monogamy, swinging & polyamory, Social media & mental health, Writing, trauma and healing, Teaching and learning with technology