Sara K. Yeo portrait
  • Faculty Affiliate, Global Change and Sustainability Center
  • Faculty Affiliate, Environmental Humanities
  • Faculty Director, STEM Ambassador Program (STEMAP)
  • Associate Professor, Communication

Research Summary

Specializing in science and risk communication, Dr. Yeo's research explores the intersection of science, media, and politics. Currently, she is interested in how emotions and humor affect the formation of public attitudes toward science and technology.

Education

  • Ph.D., Mass Communications, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • M.S., Life Sciences Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • M.S., Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • B.S., Oceanography, Hawaii Pacific University

Biography

Sara K. Yeo (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison) is faculty in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah. Her research interests include science and risk communication, public opinion of STEM issues, and information seeking and processing. Her work has been published in journals such as Risk Analysis, Energy Policy, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, and Materials TodayShe has also written articles for popular science magazines, such as The Scientist and New Scientist.

Originally from Malaysia, Dr. Yeo is trained as a bench and field scientist and holds a M.S. in Oceanography from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her training in ecology and the life sciences has been invaluable to her research at the intersection of science, media, and politics.