Rachael Shwom is an assistant professor in the Human Ecology department who specializes in climate and society. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology with a specialization in Environmental Science and Policy at Michigan State University in 2008. Her dissertation research focused on how different governmental, business, and environmental organizations sought to influence U.S. policies on appliance energy efficiency over the past three decades.
She is interested in energy efficiency policy because efficiency improvements are often identified as an important and politically feasible step for reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. She has also researched formation of public opinions on climate change, social science’s role in enabling decision-makers to act on climate change under uncertainty, and media’s coverage of climate change. In the future, she will continue her research on environmental and energy advocacy organizations and the factors that influence their decisions. She is also interested in the role that production decisions, such as those made by real estate developers and automobile manufacturers, play in changing energy consumption patterns.
Publications:
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Cuite, Hallman, Shwom, 2018. Is storm surge scary? The influence of hazard, impact, an fear-based message and individual differences on responses to hurricane risks in the USA.
Morss, Rebecca., Cuite, Cara., Demuth, Julie., Hallman, William., Shwom, Rachael. 2018. Is storm surge scary? The influence of hazard, impact, and fear-based messages and individual differences on responses to hurricane risks in the USA. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. -
Jordan & Shwom, 2018. Using authentic science in climate change education.
Rebecca Jordan, Amanda E Sorensen, Rachael Shwom, Jennifer Meta Robinson, Cynthia Isenhour, Steven Gray, Mary Nucci, Diane Ebert-May. 2018. Using authentic science in climate change education. Journal of Applied Environmental Education & Communication. -
Shwom, 2018 - Domestic energy consumption and climate change mitigation
Wokje Abrahamse, Rachael Shwom, 2018. Domestic energy consumption and climate change mitigation. Interdisiplinary Reviews: Climate Change, Vol. 9, Issue 4, 525-541. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.525 -
Shwom - 2017. Enhancing climate science literacy through the social sciences
Shwom, R., McCright, A., Isenhour, C., Jordan, R. and Robinson, Jennifer M. (Forthcoming 2017)“Enhancing climate science literacy through the social sciences” Frontiers in Ecology and Environment
