Cornell seal
Back

Discover CALS

See how our current work and research is bringing new thinking and new solutions to some of today's biggest challenges.

Katherine McComas

Vice Provost for Engagement and Land-Grant Affairs, Office of the Provost

Professor, Department of Communication

woman standing and smiling

Contact Information

489D Mann Library Building
Ithaca, NY 14853

kam19 [at] cornell.edu

Selected Publications

  • Balog-Way, D. H. P., McComas, K. A., Lambert, C. E., Cousse, J., & Trutnevyte, E. (2025). Public perceptions of enhanced geothermal systems: A cross-national study on affective imagery, familiarity, and support. Energy Policy. 
  • Lambert, C. E., Balog-Way, D. H. P., McComas, K. A., Cousse, J., & Trutnevyte, E. (2025). The ‘uncanny underground:’ How psychological and cultural associations shape public perceptions of subterranean energy technologies. Energy Research & Social Science, 128.
  • Balog-Way, D., & McComas, K. (2025). Unpacking the risk of misinformation: A communication-based critique. Risk Analysis.
  • Torem, E., Matte, T., Tipaldo, J. F., Marcotullio, P. J., & McComas, K. (2025). Considerations for communication of climate health risk related to flooding and other hazards in cities. Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, 3, 2/3, 368-385. 
  • Cousse, J., McComas, K.*, Lambert, C., Balog-Way, D., & Trutnevyte, E. (2025). How beliefs about tampering with nature influence support for enhanced geothermal systems: A cross-national study. Risk Analysis, 45, 1152-1166. *order of first two authors is alphabetical to reflect equal contributions
  • Towers, J., Leichenko, R., Braneon, C., Balk, D., Yoon, L., Wagner, G., Ventrella, J., Tchen, J., Rosenzweig, B., Orton, P., Ortiz, L., Moss, R., Montalto, F., McPhearson, T., McComas, K., Marcotullio, P., Matte, T., Maher, N., Knowlton, K., Horton, R., Foster, S., & Baptista, A. (2024). NPCC4: Climate risk and equity—advancing knowledge toward a sustainable future| Conclusions. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1539, 1, 323-334.
  • Leong, A.D., Lauber, T.B., Siemer, W.F., Hurst, J., Stedman, R.C., Schuler, K.L., & McComas, K.A. (2024). Sociopsychological factors influencing risk perceptions of chronic wasting disease on social media. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 29, 611-627. 
  • Balog-Way, D., McComas, K., Leong, A., Brown, D., & Schuler, K. (2023). Towards an evidence-informed strategy for communicating lead ammunition risks. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 
  • Leong, A., McComas, K., Balog-Way, D., & Schuler, K. (2023). Expanding on Behavioral Intentions in the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model: Socio-cognitive factors predicting information seeking, sharing, and discussion of lead ammunition. Science Communication, 45, 310-336.
  • Holley, J.R., McComas, K.A., Lambert, C.E., Snider, N.P. & Tucker, G.K. (2022). Responding to flood risk in Louisiana: The roles of place attachment, emotions, and location. Natural Hazards, 113, 615-640.
  • Lambert, C. E., Holley, J. R., McComas, K. A., Snider, N. P., & Tucker, G. K. (2021). Eroding land and erasing place: A qualitative study of place attachment, risk perception, and coastal land loss in southern Louisiana. Sustainability, 13(11), 6269. 
  • Schuldt, J.P, McComas, K., & Burge, C. (2021) Intersecting frames in communicating risk and uncertainty. Journal of Risk Research 24, 562-573. 
  • Lu, H., Song, H., & McComas, K. A. (2021) Seeking information about enhanced geothermal systems: The role of fairness, uncertainty, systematic processing, and information engagement intentions. Renewable Energy, 169, 855-864.
  • Siemer, W. F., Lauber, T. B., Schuler, K., Verant, M., Herzog, C. J., & McComas, K. A. (2020). Predictors of intentions to conserve bats among New York property owners. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 26, 275-292.
  • Lu, H., McComas, K. A., Kretser, H., & Lauber, T. B. (2020). Scared yet compassionate? Exploring the order effects of threat versus suffering messages on attitude toward scary victims. Science Communication, 42, 3-30.
  • Balog-Way, D., McComas, K. A., & Besley, J. (2020). The evolving field of risk communication. Risk Analysis, 40, 2240-2262.
  • Song, H., Lu, H., & McComas, K. A. (2020). The role of fairness in early characterization of new technologies: Effects on selective exposure and risk perception. Risk Analysis, 41, 1614-1629
  • Balog-Way, D., & McComas, K. A. (2020). COVID-19: Reflections on trust, tradeoffs, and preparedness. Journal of Risk Research, 23, 838-848.
  • McComas, K. (2023, May). The role of risk communication in meeting global energy needs: Keeping cooler heads as the conversation heats up. Keynote presented at the SRA-Europe Annual Meeting, Lund, Sweden.
  • McComas, K. (2022, October). Influencing human behavior towards bears through risk communication. Featured presentation at the 6th International Human Bear Conflict Workshop, Lake Tahoe, NV.
  • McComas, K., Cousse, J., Balog-Way, D., Lambert, C., & Trutnevyte, E. (2022, December). Repurposing “dirty technologies” for “clean” energy development: The case of enhanced geothermal systems. Paper presented at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL.
  • Cousse, J., McComas, K. Balog-Way, D., Lambert, C., & Trutnevyte, E. (2022, December). How do beliefs about tampering with nature influence perceptions of enhanced geothermal systems in Switzerland and the United States? Paper presented at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL.
  • Leong, A., McComas, K., & Balog-Way, D. (2022, December). Exploring the role of social norms on information, seeking, sharing, and discussion. Poster presented at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL.
  • Cousse, J., McComas, K., Lambert, C. Balog-Way, D., Y Trutnevyte, E. (2022, June). Tell me how you feel about Enhanced Geothermal Systems and why: A cross-national study. Paper presented at the Third International Conference on Energy Research and Social Science. Manchester, UK.
  • Holley, J., Lambert, C., McComas, K., Snider, N., & Tucker, G., (2020, December). Place attachment and affect: The case of flood risk in Louisiana. Paper presented at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting. (online only)
  • Lambert, C., Holley, J., McComas, K., Snider, N., & Tucker, G., (2020, December). “It’s bigger than us”: Feelings of inevitable risk associated with coastal land loss in southern Louisiana. Paper presented at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting. (online only)
  • Lu, H, Song, H, & McComas, KA. (2020, August). Seeking information about an emerging technology: Fairness, uncertainty, systematic processing, and information engagement intentions. Presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication annual meeting. Top four faculty paper award. (online only)
  • Excellence in Risk Communication Research and Practice, Society for Risk Analysis Risk Communication Specialty Group, 2022
  • President, Society for Risk Analysis, 2018-2019
  • SUNY Chancellors Award for Excellence in Faculty Service, 2017
  • Elected Fellow, Society for Risk Analysis, 2014

Katherine in the news

COMM UPDATES from the Department of Communication

News

COMM Updates - 3/11/2026
March 11, 2026 Community Outreach The Social Media Lab (SML) has been engaging in community outreach lately. SML Manager Isabelle McLeod Daphnis, with former SML Postdoctoral Associate Ellen Zou, participated in the Adult Training & Development...
three individuals stand in front of a poster board

News

COMM Updates - 1/21/2026
January 21, 2026 Awards & Grants Professor danah boyd has been awarded a Research Seed Grant on “The Political Economy of AI,” receiving $5,000 from Cornell Global Hubs. This grant supports a collaboration with researchers at the University of...
View More