Deborah Thien

Deborah Thien is a Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Professor of Geography at California State University, Long Beach. She also serves as Affiliate Faculty in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

• PhD in Human Geography, University of Edinburgh, UK (2005)
• MA in Gender Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada (2000)
• BA in English and Women’s Studies (with Distinction), University of Victoria, Canada (1995)

Her research focuses on feminist and emotional geographies, particularly in rural and remote regions. Key areas include gender, health & well-being, innovative qualitative methodologies, and the politics of place-making. She has contributed extensively to emotional geographies, care work, and gendered health disparities.

Her publications frequently examine intersections of emotion, gender, and space, with a strong emphasis on northern communities and healthcare systems. She has collaborated with researchers like Vincent J. Del Casino and N. Hanlon.

• Commonwealth Scholar (2001-2004)
• SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2006)
• CIHR Grant (2007-2012)
• Northern Medical Program Grant (2009-2010)

Thien has held leadership roles such as Associate Dean (2019-2022), Chair of the Department of Human Development (2017-2019), and Director of the University Honors Program (2015-2019). She previously served as Chair of the Geographical Perspectives on Women Specialty Group (AAG) and Editor for cultural geographies and Emotion, Space & Society.