Saahi Uppalapati

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Climate Change Communication, Climate Change Policy, Climate and Health

Saahi Uppalapati is an adjunct faculty member and researcher with expertise in climate change communication, health, and policy. Her work explores how social science insights can be applied to strengthen public support for pro-climate behaviors and advance equitable climate and health policies. Her dissertation examined climate change-related psychological distress, developing and validating a scale to measure it, and testing a text message-based intervention to reduce distress while promoting climate action and well-being.

She brings interdisciplinary training and global experience, holding dual master’s degrees: an M.S. in Environmental Policy from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and an M.P.A. in Public Administration from Syracuse University. Born and raised in India, she now lives in Washington, D.C., and continues her work at the nexus of climate change, health, and policy.

Selected Publications

Ballew, M. T., Uppalapati, S. S., Myers, T., et al. (2024). Climate change psychological distress is associated with increased collective climate action in the U.S. npj Climate Action, 3, 88. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-024-00172-8

Maibach, E. W., Uppalapati, S. S., Orr, M., et al. (2023). Harnessing the power of communication and behavior science to enhance society’s response to climate change. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 51(1). https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-031621-114417

Maibach, E., Campbell, E., Uppalapati, S. S., & Kotcher, J. (2023). Active learning and effective communication to optimize climate change action. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 9, 100207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2023.100207

Uppalapati, S. S., Ansah, P. O., Campbell, E., Gour, N., Thier, K., Kotcher, J., & Maibach, E. (2023). A Global Review of Research on Effective Advocacy and Communication Strategies at the Intersection of Climate Change and Health. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/6w3qh

Courses Taught

COMM 101: Fundamentals of Communication

COMM 400: Research Methods in Communication

Education

Ph.D. in Communication (Concentration: Science Communication), George Mason University

M.S. in Environmental Studies, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

M.P.A., Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, Syracuse University

B.A. in Environmental Studies & Politics, Whitman College

In the Media

Inside Climate News (2024): The Depths of Their Discontent: Young Americans Are Distraught Over Climate Change

Green Builder Media (2024): Do You Feel Like the Earth is Dying? You’re Not Alone

George Mason University News (2023): Sharing the health benefits of climate solutions can boost public support for change.