Melissa Finucane
William and Jane Knapp Endowed Infinity Chair
School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Sustainability Sciences
How people understand risk — and how that understanding shapes decisions — has been a central thread in Melissa Finucane’s work for more than 25 years. Recognized as an international expert on the perception and communication of risk and uncertainty related to climate resilience and disaster recovery, Finucane has led research, education, and outreach programs designed to help public- and private-sector decision-makers leverage scientific evidence more effectively.
Her work integrates social and behavioral science with other disciplines to develop evidence-based solutions to complex environmental and health challenges, particularly in underserved communities in the United States and globally. She has directed multimillion-dollar, use-inspired science programs that pair scientific rigor with practical and fair solutions.
Finucane has secured substantial funding from diverse sources, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, World Health Organization, and Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. She is also an experienced communicator and negotiator, capable of representing complex ideas to international media, federal interagency working groups, executive leadership, and local communities. Her leadership is driven by a commitment to solving complex environmental and health problems in practical ways, using scientific rigor and innovation to inform policy.
Finucane is the William and Jane Knapp Endowed Infinity Chair in the Sustainability Studies Division in the School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Sustainability Sciences.
