Faculty & Staff
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Katherine A, McComas, Ph.D. Associate Professor 313 Kennedy Hall 607.255.6508 kam19@cornell.edu http://www.risk.comm.cornell.edu/ |
Dr. Katherine A. McComas specializes in science, environmental, and risk communication. She is particularly interested in problems related to public participation and community involvement in discussions, planning, and decision making about environmental and public health risks. Much of her research focuses on the use of public meetings for risk communication and public participation, where she investigates factors that influence participants’ judgments of trust, their satisfaction with the process, and their willingness to engage in future public participation activities.
Recent courses taught:
Comm 376 – Planning Communication Campaigns
Comm 421/621 – Communication and the Environment
Comm 456 – Community Involvement in Environmental Decisions
Comm 686 – Risk Communication
Selected Publications
Trumbo, C., & McComas, K. (2008). Institutional trust, information processing and perception of environmental cancer risk. International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 8(1/2), 61-76.
Leong, K. M, McComas, K. A., & Decker, D. J. (2007). Matching the forum to the fuss: Using coorientation contexts to address the paradox of public participation in natural resource management. Environmental Practice, 9 (3), 195-205.
Besley, J, & McComas, K. (2007). Reporting on fairness in civic life: Interviews with journalists about writing on local political leaders. Journalism Practice, 1 (339-355).
McComas, K., Trumbo, C., and Besley, J. (2007). Public meetings about suspected cancer clusters: The impact of voice, interactional justice, and risk perception on attendees’ attitudes in six communities. Journal of Health Communication, 12, 527-549.
Trumbo, C., McComas, K., Kannaovakun, P. (2007). Cancer anxiety and the perception of risk in alarmed communities. Risk Analysis, 27 (2), 337-350.
McComas, K., Simone, L., Waks, L., and Sherman, L. (2007). Predicting satisfaction and outcome acceptance with decision-making processes: The role of procedural justice. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37 (5), 905-927.
Besley, J, McComas, K., & Waks, L. (2006). Media use and the perceived justice of local science authorities. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 83, 801-818.
McComas, K., Besley, J., Trumbo, C. (2006). Why citizens do and don’t attend public meetings about local cancer clusters. Policy Studies Journal, 34 (4), 671-698.
McComas, K.A. (2006). Defining Moments in Risk Communication: 1996-2005. Journal of Health Communication, 11, 75-91.
Besley, J., & McComas, K. (2005). Framing Justice: Using the Concept of Procedural Justice to Advance Political Communication Research. Communication Theory, 15, 414-436.
McComas, K., Tuite, L., and Sherman, L. (2005) Conflicted Scientists: The "Shared Pool" Dilemma of Scientific Advisory Committees. Public Understanding of Science, 14, 285-303.
