He received his PhD from the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. He also holds an M.A. and a B.A. from California State University, Long Beach. Boren's scholarship focuses on the way that social support networks impact the experience of co-worker stress. He studies work/life balance, organizational culture, psychological and physiological stress, and employee relationships. Boren is a commissioner with the Santa Clara County Human Relations Commission, which works to advise the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on human rights-related issues within the county. He is also the Diversity Council Chair for the National Communication Association.