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Emma Frances Bloomfield
Assistant Professor in Communication Studies
Expertise: Science Communication, Religion and Politics, Religious and Scientific Controversies, Climate Change, Evolution, Creationism and Intelligent Design
About
Currently an assistant professor at UNLV, Emma Bloomfield focuses on rhetoric, politics, and publics with a minor focus in media communication and sociology. She studies how people talk and argue about science, religion, technology, and the body in public spaces, such as politics, news media, and online outlets.
Bloomfield has published about various scientific topics and how the public understands and responds to them, including topics such as evolution, science education, online personas, climate change, birth control, and religion in politics. As a communication scholar that focuses on rhetoric, she attends to the ways that people use symbols, such as language, to persuade, influence, and make connections with others — particularly in situations where this use of symbols leads to controversy, deliberation, and public concern.
Bloomfield is interested in the role of religion in politics, strategies for engaging the public in climate science, and how scientists can better communicate and talk to general audiences.
Education
- PhD Communication, University of Southern California
Emma Frances Bloomfield In The News
By the time violence broke out at a white nationalist march and counterdemonstration in August in Charlottesville, Virginia, UNLV senior Robert Gipson II had had enough.
It didn’t take long for people to spin elaborate scenarios about the events of October 1. Suddenly, conspiracy theories were local—and struck a nerve. The speculation triggered painful memories and seemed to delegitimize survivors’ personal experiences. So, how to proceed when a friend posts a cringe-worthy conspiracy on social media?
On April 22, Earth Day, another group of protesters will march on Washington: scientists. They generally attempt political neutrality, but President Donald Trump’s policy actions and appointments have pushed many experts across many disciplines to consider taking this very public stand.
Articles Featuring Emma Frances Bloomfield
In a post-truth world, embracing critical thinking is the only way to counter click bait.
This communications studies faculty member says the rhetoric of new technologies is ripe for study.