Research
My research explores how communication shapes the way science is understood, used, and acted on, particularly in the context of climate change adaptation in Alaska and the Arctic. Drawing on both communication scholarship and more than a decade of practice as a science communicator, I study how climate science is conveyed, how it is co-produced with the communities and decision-makers it aims to serve, and how research and practice can better inform one another. My work spans three connected areas, described below.
Science and Climate Change Communication
I investigate how science and environmental issues, such as climate change, are communicated and the effects of that communication. A particular interest of mine is communication about cryosphere change — how changes in glaciers, snow, and ice, and related geohazards, are presented and understood, and how these shape perceptions of climate change and local risks. My recent work in this area includes research on how visualizations of glacier change affect views about climate change, conducted as part of an NSF-funded study of the world's largest piedmont glacier, and a forthcoming review of how the cryosphere is used as a frame in climate change communication. I also study how U.S. media frame climate change, including coverage of the Fourth National Climate Assessment and representations of Antarctica and sea level rise, and how broadcast meteorologists and local TV journalists serve as climate communicators, drawing on national surveys of reporting practices and the prevalence of false balance.
Engaged Research Methods and Communication for Actionable Science
Science communication is embedded in broader relationships between science and society, and I also study the people and processes working at that interface. I'm especially interested in the role of communication in making science more useful and actionable. My work examines how scientists, decision-makers, and communities collaborate to co-produce knowledge for climate adaptation. My recent work in this area includes developing frameworks for equitable co-production and engaged research methods, supported by an NSF-funded project and a special issue of Community Science, and studying how scientists and decision-makers think about usability and actionability — including a study of how Alaska decision-makers perceive and use snow avalanche science. I am also working to bridge the science communication and actionable science literatures, including through a co-authored research agenda synthesizing decades of science-policy interface scholarship.
Bridging Research and Practice
Drawing from more than a decade as a science communicator, I'm interested in connecting communication theory and practice to improve the societal impact of research. This includes evaluating communication products, conducting and evaluating communication training, and building communication capacity within research teams. My recent work in this area includes promoting strategic communication by science teams and running a USGS-funded science communication internship program for undergraduate and graduate students.