Heather Akin

Heather Akin received her Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a minor in Southeast Asian Studies. Her research interests lie at the intersection of public opinion, policy, and mass communication of science issues. Her current work examines the role of motivated reasoning and media in influencing public perceptions about topics ranging in scope from the very small (e.g., materials at the nanoscale) to global issues like climate change. She is currently a Howard Deshong Postdoctoral Fellow in the Science of Science Communication area of the Annenberg Public Policy Center.