Dr. Lucy Atkinson

Biography

Lucy Atkinson is an Associate Professor at the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations within the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on stakeholder communication regarding climate change, sustainability, and public opinion on related topics. Dr. Atkinson has secured over $1 million in government and industry funding for her research. She has led various projects, including a significant grant from Exxon Mobil to test public opinion messages regarding Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) and a study on COVID vaccine hesitancy among Black Americans funded by Merck. She is also the Associate Director of the Global Sustainability Leadership Institute and a senior faculty research affiliate at the Center for Media Engagement. In addition to her research, she teaches courses on advertising history, environmental communication, and consumer psychology. Dr. Atkinson's work has been published in top-tier journals and has received media coverage in outlets such as The Guardian and National Public Radio. She was recognized with the UT System Regent's Outstanding Teaching Award in 2016 and named a Provost Teaching Fellow in 2017. Dr. Atkinson holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.A. from New York University, and a B.A. from McGill University.

Research Interests