BIO

Sara K. Yeo (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison) is a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah. Her research interests include strategic science and risk communication, public opinion of STEM issues, and information seeking and processing. Her work has been published in journals such as Risk Analysis, Energy Policy, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Mass Communication & Society, the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS), and Materials Today. Originally from Malaysia, Dr. Yeo is trained as a bench and field scientist and holds a M.S. in Oceanography from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Her training in ecology and the life sciences has been invaluable to her research at the intersection of science, media, and politics.

INSTITUTIONAL APPOINTMENTS

  • Professor
    Communication1 Jul 2025 - present

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Director
    University of Utah, STEM Ambassador Program (STEMAP), United States1 Aug 2022 - present
  • Associate Professor
    University of Utah, Communication, Salt Lake City, United States1 Jul 2020 - 30 Jun 2025
  • Assistant Professor
    University of Utah, Communication, Salt Lake City, United States1 Jul 2014 - 30 Jun 2020

DEGREES

  • BS, Oceanography
    Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu, HI, United States2005
  • MS, Oceanography
    University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States2008
  • MS, Life Sciences Communication
    University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States2011
  • PhD, Mass Communications (Science Communication)
    University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States2014

FIELDS OF RESEARCH