She teaches the course Family Sociology, Deviant Behavior, Analyzing Reality Television, Sociology of Documentary Filmmaking, as well as Sociological Perspectives. She earned an MA and Ph.D. in Sociology from the New School for Social Research in New York City. She earned a Master’s Degree in Women’s Studies at San Diego State University. She has taught at Florida International University in Miami as well as Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. Dr. Thompson’s work examines visual representations of subcultures. Her most recent feature length documentary film Covered and book Covered Women: Resisting the Social Stigma of Ink, provides sociological insight into the world of heavily tattooed women.