In The NoCo

Friendships are essential to our well-being. Here's how to foster stronger ones, according to a CSU researcher

By In The NoCo,

Published April 16, 2025 at 5:35 AM MDT

Ways To Subscribe

Natalie Pennington, an assistant professor of communication studies at Colorado State University, is pictured in front of a bookshelf wearing glasses and a dark colored shirt. — "When we prioritize connection and say that our friendships and relationships come first, it means we are being mindful of that," says CSU assistant professor of Communication Studies Natalie Pennington. She studies the dynamics of friendship and co-leads the American Friendship Project.

Friendships are an essential part of our well-being. Mental health experts say that loneliness is an epidemic that harms mental health and even physical health.

So, if you want to build better friendships – and strengthen the ones you already have – you might be wondering how to go about it.

Fortunately, there’s a bona fide “friendship expert” at Colorado State University.

Natalie Pennington is an assistant professor of communication studies, and she co-leads the American Friendship Project – an ongoing research study of the state of connection in the U.S.

Natalie spoke with Erin O’Toole in January and shared practical tips on how to build friendships – or reconnect with friends we haven’t seen for a while.

Tags

In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

See stories by In The NoCo

Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

See stories by Erin O'Toole

Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University’s NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family’s financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

See stories by Ariel Lavery

Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

See stories by Brad Turner