Short BIO:

Dr. Folger is a Professor of Communication at Temple University in Philadelphia.
He received a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Wisconsin and served on the faculty of the University of Michigan prior to his appointment at Temple.
He is a former chair of the communication department and the former Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at the School of Communications and Theater. He conducts research and teaches in the area of conflict management, mediation, group process and decision-making. Dr. Folger has worked extensively as a third party intervener and mediator in organizational, community and family disputes. He has been the program chair for the National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution and has helped to establish several major conflict intervention programs. He is currently a senior consultant with Communication Research Associates where he conducts communication skills training, coaching and conflict intervention. Dr. Folger has published extensively in the area of communication, conflict and mediation. His recent books include the award-winning volumes Working through Conflict: Strategies for Relationships, Groups and Organizations, 3rd Edition (with S. Poole and R.K. Stutman) and The Promise of Mediation: Responding to Conflict through Empowerment and Recognition (with R.A.B. Bush). He has also published numerous research articles as well as the edited volume, New directions in mediation (with T. S. Jones).
Most recently he completed a two-year mediation training development project funded by the Hewlett and Surdna Foundations. He is also co-editor, with R.A.B. Bush of the new publication, Designing Mediation: Approaches to Training and Practice within a Transformative Framework (Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation, 2001). 

Joseph has recently attended (amongst the speakers) the First Italian Congress on Transformative Mediation, organized by Quadra in Milan (LINK)

During this Autumn, Quadra is also organizing some very interesting advanced training in transformative mediation techniques, to be held directly by the co-author of  "The Promise of Mediation", together with other Quadra's faculty members. Details will be published soon on this website.