Allison Faller

Biography

Dr. Allison Kwesell Faller is an associate professor of media and communication in the Worldwide Campus College of Arts and Sciences, and her research specializes in visual communication with a focus on risk and crisis communication.

Dr. Kwesell Faller holds a Ph.D. in Media and Communication Studies from International Christian University, Tokyo, and an M.A. in Peace Studies, Public Policy and Social Research from the same institution. She also earned a B.A. in Photojournalism from the University of Montana. Her academic foundation combines theoretical expertise in communication studies with practical applications in emergency response, community resilience and visual narrative research, particularly in cross-cultural contexts.

Dr. Kwesell Faller specializes in risk and crisis communication, with particular expertise in emergency recovery communication, community resilience and anti-stigma health communication. Her research examines how communication infrastructure supports community healing and resistance to discrimination following large-scale crises.

Her most significant research program involves a 15-year longitudinal study of communication and recovery in Fukushima, Japan, following the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. This extensive body of work has produced multiple peer-reviewed publications and demonstrates how "neighborhood storytelling networks" - comprising interpersonal relationships, community organizations and local media - influence long-term psychological recovery from disaster trauma. The research challenges traditional trauma models by showing how persistent disaster-related stress can actually enhance community connection and collective resilience.

Dr. Kwesell Faller's innovative methodologies include visual self-narrative approaches with participatory photography workshops that enable communities to process trauma while reclaiming control over their stories. Her work has garnered international recognition, including Top Faculty Paper Awards from the International Communication Association and Top Paper Awards from the National Communication Association.

Recent publications examine COVID-19 media dependency across global cities, anti-stigma communication frameworks and long-term health impacts of pandemic isolation. Her bilingual research presentations to affected communities exemplify her commitment to ethical scholarship that serves those most directly impacted by crisis situations.

Currently, Dr. Kwesell Faller and her colleagues are developing Embry-Riddle's Crisis, Risk and Resilience Communication curriculum, directly aligning her research expertise with institutional goals to prepare students for high-stakes communication challenges across sectors including disaster response, homeland security, organizational management and public health.

Dr. Kwesell Faller serves on the editorial boards of Visual Communication Quarterly and Visual Communication (Frontiers), and as guest editor for Frontiers in Health Communication. Her research has been funded by organizations including the National Science Foundation, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and Rotary International. Her work demonstrates how academic research can actively contribute to community resilience while advancing theoretical understanding of communication's role in emergency recovery.

While Dr. Kwesell Faller is not a pilot, she is an avid kitesurfer and has learned to understand how weather patterns affect the wind. Steering the kite in 40mph winds and occasionally, and often accidentally, flying into the air is as close as she has gotten to piloting a plane.

Education

• Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Communication, International Christian University
• M.A. - Master of Arts in Peace Studies, International Christian University
• B.A. - Bachelor of Arts in Journalism: Photojournalism, The University of Montana