PhD in Communication

Eryn Campbell, 2023

When are you graduating?

Spring 2023

Describe your dissertation, thesis, or capstone (if you completed one):

Climate change profoundly impacts human health, and health professionals are trusted sources of information about this topic. Given their importance in the climate conversation, my dissertation investigated if social normative messages (i.e., messages demonstrating that many others are taking action) help engage health professionals in advocacy for climate and health solutions. Further, because health professionals express concerns about engaging in advocacy, I also investigated how the public perceives health professionals who advocate for climate and health solutions. Overall, I found that social norms may be a useful messaging strategy to activate health professionals as advocates and that the public positively perceives this engagement.

How did you choose your specific area of study?

Coming from a background in environmental and climate science, I had always been looking for ways that I could contribute to addressing the climate crisis. Through my studies, I realized that one of the main challenges surrounding climate change is being able to communicate about it effectively. Through that realization, I found Ed Maibach and George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication and pivoted my career into the social sciences.

How did your academic experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences impact you?

Because I switched fields for my Ph.D., I needed to build a strong foundation for developing my own scholarship. My academic experiences at CHSS provided me with the skills I needed to become an independent scholar and work towards a successful career in social science research.

Of which accomplishment(s) during your time at Mason are you most proud?

During my time at Mason, I am most proud of the summers I spent working with interns to develop climate change communication materials for parks in the National Capital Region of the National Park Service. This opportunity allowed me to help students develop their own professional skills while also applying the knowledge I gained at Mason in practice. Seeing the intern's final projects and the NPS's response to them was always a highlight of my summers.

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference during your Mason career?

My advisor, Ed Maibach, made a huge difference during my time at Mason. Over the course of four years, he pushed me in and outside of the classroom to think deeply and helped me grow as an independent scholar; I am forever grateful.

What advice would you give to an incoming cohort of graduate students?

If I could give one piece of advice to an incoming cohort of graduate students, it would be to be proactive and find the opportunities, at Mason and beyond, that will push your career in the direction you want it to go.

What are your current career plans following graduation? What are your long-term career goals?

After graduation, I will be a Gloria T. and Melvin J. ("Jack") Chisum Postdoctoral Fellow in Climate Science within the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media (PCSSM) and the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania (APPC), a joint appointment with Penn Arts & Sciences and APPC. Long-term, I am pursuing a career in research and one day hope to be research faculty at an academic research center.