Kelly Rossetto has been with Boise State for 8 years. During her time at Boise State, she has taught Interpersonal Communication, Studies in Family Communication, Research Inquiry and Senior Seminar. More recently, she has developed studies in Communication and Resilience and Social Media and Close Relationships.
These two new courses bring to life the research Dr. Rossetto has been doing for several years, focused on stress and resilience. One of the most important findings, she believes, is that support and belonging can help combat student stress and loneliness. If we can create a sense of belonging and mattering, for all students, we can expect to see higher performance and improved social and personal well-being.
That is why, in her classes, you will often find students working together on projects and other activities. You can read more about college student resilience in Dr. Rossetto’s book: Journey into College and Career: Cultivating Resilience among Challenges. It offers many strategies for cultivating resilience.
Dr. Rossetto’s other recent project was another co-edited book: Social Media and Close Relationships. This book shares research on how social media impacts our identity and our relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners.
The book stemmed from an interest in how couples use social media to cope with challenges and garner support. Social media is a powerful resource for people; but it can also lead to negative personal and social consequences. Dr. Rossetto hopes to help students develop digital well-being through the analysis of social media’s risks and benefits.
Outside of her teaching and research, Dr. Rossetto is a mom to two amazing twin boys. She loves to camp, walk and run on the greenbelt, explore Boise hot spots, cook/bake, and enjoy time with family and friends. She was born and raised in Montana, so the Idaho mountains and lakes bring her peace and gratitude. Come visit her office in the Communication Building (206) if you want to talk with Dr. Rossetto more. You can also check out her research on Google Scholar.