Julia Goolsby

Julia Goolsby is a Ph.D. student in the Graduate Field of Communication at Cornell University. She holds an M.A. in Environmental Communication and a B.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University. Outside of work, Julia enjoys learning about local botany, reading, making pottery, and trying out new ingredients or recipes. 

Prior to Cornell, she spent the past four years conducting research related to environmental decision making and risk perceptions through the University of Colorado Boulder. In that role, she served as the communication specialist for an interdisciplinary research group that helps local fire organizations gather—and use—social survey data from residents about wildfire readiness. She also conducted interviews and focus groups with a USGS-led research group that aims to better understand the institutional, social, and personal factors that shape the natural resource management decisions of National Park Service staff, amidst climate-driven ecological transformation.

Julia is interested in how people perceive environmental risks—especially the complex, system-level risks associated with climate change. She is particularly interested in how risk perceptions shape decisions within government contexts. She hopes to explore emotions and narrative as lenses through which to understand risk perceptions. Julia is also passionate about the use of social science in non-research settings and how scientists can better participate in addressing society’s challenges.