About
I study and teach communication to help people work together to solve complex problems.
I believe that communication plays an important role in addressing large-scale environmental problems, such as global climate change. Drawing from theories in science and technology studies and communication, my research primarily focuses on interactions amongst people, teams, organizations, and the processes that enable or constrain the movement of information across different contexts and settings.
With a background in rural development, natural resource management, and sustainability science, I focus on communication in the context of complex environmental problems, such as global climate change and rapid change in the snow and ice-dominated systems of Alaska and the Arctic.
I am currently a research associate with the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center (AK CASC) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks's International Arctic Research Center. I am also an affiliate faculty with UAF's Department of Communication and Journalism and a faculty fellow with the Honors College Climate Scholars Program.
I have a Ph.D. in strategic communication, with an emphasis in science communication from George Mason University, where I worked with the Center for Climate Change Communication.
I also have an interdisciplinary MSc degree in Science Communication and a BA in Rural Development, with an emphasis on Land, Resources, and Environmental Management, both from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
I have over a decade of experience working as a communications professional, helping university researchers, non-profit organizations, and government agencies communicate science with a variety of audiences. Having a foot in both the research and practice worlds, I know communication researchers and practitioners have a lot to learn from each other, and in my work, I aim to bridge the gaps between science communication research and practice.
I am fortunate to live and work on the traditional homelands of the Lower Tanana Dené people. I recognize and appreciate their past and present stewardship and care for these lands.