Hi there!
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. I study how visual systems, from community co-created art to AI-generated imagery, shapes public trust, risk perception, and decision-making in science and the environment. My work integrates experiments, visual analysis, and community-engaged reserach to understand how people interpret visual evidence in an era of environmental change and technological transformation.
Research Areas
Science Communication
Public opinion and risk perception around emerging science
Science communication in policy and governance
Media framing of environmental and technological change
Strategic and ethical communication of science in high-stakes contexts
Visual Communication
How data visualization shapes interpretation, trust, and decision
Visual narratives, emotion, and credibility in science communication
Art-based and community-driven approaches to environmental engagement
Public responses to AI-generated and synthetic scientific imagery
Current Projects
Recent Publications
Papers
Examining the effects of AI-generated image on science information credibility
Science Communication
,
2025
When science meets art on Instagram: Examining the effects of visual art on emotions, interest, and social media engagement
Science Communication
,
2024
Communicating environmental and ecological sciences through visual arts: A cross-disciplinary review
Environmental Communication
,
2024
An enthusiastic but uncertain welcome: Coverage of risks, benefits, and social contexts of CRISPR technology in U.S. agricultural news 2012-2022
Journal of Applied Communications
,
2024
Visual realism and character identification in science comics: An empirical study testing McCloud’s “Masking Effect” theory
Visual Communication
,
2024
Presentations
Visual literacy in the AI age: Implications for science communication strategies
BIANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (PCST)
Seeing is engaging? The mediating role of visual appeal in science communication
Biannual Convention of the Public Communication of Science and Technology
Familiarity matters: Examining the effects of AI-generated image on science information credibility
Annual Convention of the International Communication Association (ICA)
From visual appeal to message elaboration – the role of metaphorical representations in shaping science perceptions
Annual Convention of the International Communication Association (ICA)
New biotechnology, new opinions? Effects of climate change, naturalness messaging
Annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference
Enhancing ice safety and climate change awareness among ice anglers in the Great Lakes community
