Biography
Dr. James B. Stein is a New Jersey Native. He earned his BA in Communication Studies in 2012, and graduated with his MA in Communication Studies in 2014 under the mentorship of Dr. Jennifer Theiss, both at Rutgers University . He then moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he fived for five years, earning his PhD in Human Communication under the tutelage of Dr. Paul Mongeau at Arizona State University. Following a year of full time faculty employment at ASU, he accepted a tenure-track role at Utah Tech University. Across his seven years at UT he was promoted to Associate professor and served as the interim chair of his department from 2021-2022. He Joined the Bobcats in the Fall of 2026 wher he teaches under the Accelerated Online Program full time.
Research Interests
Dr. Stein researches what he has coined as the dyad-network accommodation (DNA) phenomenon. This area of research involves exploring how romantic couples communicate with and about their ego- and duocentric social networks. Currently, Dr. Stein's program of research primarily uses quantitative methods to explore generalizable relationships across large swaths of the dating population. That said, recent trends in his scholarship are directing him toward a more inductive, identity-focused approach to DNA. As such, future studies will entail qualitative approaches.
Teaching Interests
Dr. Stein's primary area of pedagogy is in interpersonal communication; however, he has taught numerous courses spanning across areas of organizational, intercultural, and gendered communication. Moreover, he has expertise in teaching research methods and core developmental courses in communication (e.g., intro to communication; public speaking, communication theory). Dr. Stein has also mentored over 50 students in their pursuit of undergraduate capstone research projects, and has worked with several undergraduate students to apply for and receive grant money for research projects.