Graduate Opportunities with Mason 4C

Research with Planetary Impact

The George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication has helped define and advance climate change communication as a critical field of research and practice, supporting hundreds of researchers, practitioners, and institutions with evidence-based frameworks.

As a graduate student at George Mason University, you have the unique opportunity to join our university-based engine for public good, conducting research that serves as a critical catalyst for climate progress. By joining our research community, you will engage in science-based climate communication that reaches millions and shapes global narratives.

If you are a prospective or current graduate student looking to specialize in climate change communication research, we invite you to explore the PhD in Communication within the Department of Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences.  Department/4C faculty work with PhD students in any of the program’s Substantive Fields of Study (health communication, strategic communication, and science/environment/risk communication) as course instructors, research supervisors, and program advisors.

Learn more about the PhD in Communication, including program overview/connections with 4C, funding opportunities, requirements, admissions, current students, and alumni.

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Student Research Snapshot

The graduate students at Mason 4C are exploring climate communication through diverse, interdisciplinary lenses — from public health and misinformation to identity, media, policy, and community resilience. These examples represent just a small snapshot of the kinds of research taking place across different subdisciplines at the center, helping prospective students imagine the many ways they can contribute to meaningful, solutions-focused climate communication research and practice.

 

Climate Change, Public Health, and Policy

Neha Gour: Neha uses quantitative and statistical methods to examine how people understand the links between climate change and human health. Her research spans global contexts (including the U.S., China, and South Asia) and explores how emphasizing health impacts can strengthen public support for climate solutions. Closer to home, she has studied the human and environmental health implications of Virginia’s rapidly expanding data center hubs and contributed to urban forestry sustainability planning in the City of Fairfax.  

Tracy Mason: Alongside her role as Assistant Dean for Strategic Communications and Marketing, Tracy’s research focuses on building trust in science communication. Her work examines how communicators can effectively respond to misinformation and disinformation surrounding climate change, public health, and economic prosperity.

Identity, Culture, and Local Risk Communication

Em Kohl: Em’s research explores how intersectional identity, queer theory, and lived experience shape climate and risk communication. Much of their work focuses on communicating climate risks within rural communities, particularly in Appalachia, while also examining popular culture and media as important spaces for science communication and public engagement.

Media, Journalism, and Public Advocacy

Yuan Yue:

A former journalist and documentary filmmaker from China, Yuan brings storytelling and media production expertise to environmental communication research. His recent collaborative work examines public advocacy and voter sentiment, including co-authoring a 2025 report showing broad bipartisan support for stronger federal action to protect communities from the health harms of climate change.

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The work of Mason's Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) would not be possible without the generous financial support we have received from philanthropic foundations and individual donors.

You can also support our important work by donating via a secure online donation form. Your financial contribution will be processed on our behalf by the George Mason University Foundation, and is tax deductible.

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