His teaching and research interests are in industrial suburbs, economic development, and institutional behavior. His research has been used by media nationwide, including The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, and Swiss Television. He is the author of the award-winning book Made in USA: East St. Louis-The Rise and Fall of an Industrial River Town (Virginia Publishing, 2003), which was made into an Emmy-winning public television documentary. He received his masters and doctoral degrees in political science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Theising enjoys local history; his family has lived in the St. Louis region for over 150 years.