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Carson MacPherson-Krutsky

PhD Candidate in Geosciences, Boise State University

Carson MacPherson-Krutsky is a doctoral candidate at Boise State University in the geoscience department and the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Hazards and Climate Resilience Institute. She is interested in making scientific information more accessible to broad audiences. She believes that clear and engaging communication of data, facts, and discoveries leads to citizens who are better informed and who value science.

She focuses on communication about natural disasters (earthquakes, flooding, landslides, etc). Many people live in hazard-prone areas with little knowledge of their risks. Often the available information is inaccessible because it is too technical, non-specific, or time-consuming to find. Carson's masters project at University of Montana aimed to reduce these barriers and resulted in the development of HazardReady.org. HazardReady websites provide location specific and de-jargoned information about natural hazard risks and how to prepare.

Now at Boise State, she studies which methods of delivering information are most effective. She also likes making helpful maps and infographics.

Experience

  • 2017–present
    PhD Candidate in the Department of Geosciences, Boise State University
  • 2016–2017
    Education Supervisor, Discovery Center of Idaho

Education

  • 2016 
    University of Montana, Masters in Science/Geoscience
  • 2012 
    Western Washington University, Bachelors in Science/Geoscience

Publications

  • 2020
    Does updating natural hazard maps to reflect best practices increase viewer comprehension of risk?, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (IJDRR)