Risk, Rhetoric, and Communicating About Coastal Hazards
Baton Rouge
LA
USA
LSU Center for Coastal Resiliency
presents
Sonia Stephens, PhD
University of Central Florida
Abstract: Developing risk visualization tools often requires an interdisciplinary perspective. While the natural and social sciences help us understand physical risks and the social context, the humanities disciplines provide methods and knowledge that help communicate about complex information with different audiences.
The rhetorical tradition is particularly helpful when developing better risk communication tools, as it encompasses a long tradition of audience analysis, communication design, and soliciting audience feedback – all crucial for communicating about coastal hazards.
Bio: Dr. Stephens is an assistant professor of technical communication in the English Department and Texts and Technology Program at the University of Central Florida. Her research focuses on science communication, visual risk communication, digital humanities, and the design and development of interactive data visualization tools.