HighlightsThese highlights are AI-generated using the faculty's CV and Google Scholar profile
Sonny Rosenthal is an internationally recognized scholar in environmental and science communication, risk information seeking, and sustainability behavior change, with a strong record of research, teaching, and public engagement across Asia and the United States.
Bridges theory and practice in environmental and risk communication, with demonstrated impact on public policy, sustainability campaigns, and educational innovation; recognized for methodological rigor, interdisciplinary collaboration, and leadership in large-scale research projects; awarded for excellence in digital education and communication research.
Focused research areas include Communication and public understanding of climate change and environmental risks; behavioral interventions for sustainability (e.g., recycling, energy conservation, littering); media use and information seeking in science and health contexts; digital and serious games for learning; social and psychological determinants of pro-environmental action.
Bridges theory and practice in environmental and risk communication, with demonstrated impact on public policy, sustainability campaigns, and educational innovation; recognized for methodological rigor, interdisciplinary collaboration, and leadership in large-scale research projects; awarded for excellence in digital education and communication research.
Focused research areas include Communication and public understanding of climate change and environmental risks; behavioral interventions for sustainability (e.g., recycling, energy conservation, littering); media use and information seeking in science and health contexts; digital and serious games for learning; social and psychological determinants of pro-environmental action.
Areas of Expertise
Environmental psychologyEnvironmental communicationScience communicationRisk communication
Past Awarded Grant
- Co-PI S$1,490,593 - NEA CISR, 2023-2028. The project, "Developing a risk assessment and communication platform to translate climate projections to policy," will develop a virtual reality simulation of climate impacts used to help policymakers and government officers translate climate science into policy.
- Project PI S$175,000 (sub-award) - MOE AcRF Tier 3c, 2023-2030. The project, "Climate Transformation Programme" is a multidisciplinary project that aims to understand how the climate is changing, identify the best ways to contribute to mitigation, and better predict the risks it poses to people and planet. I received a sub-award from the $45.9 million grant total.
- Co-PI S$19,714 - NIE ERFP, 2023-2024. The project, "Augmented Classroom: AI for automatic detection of regular patterns of teaching behaviours in the classroom (ACAI)," will develop an algorithm to analyze video recordings of classroom teaching and identify patterns of teaching behaviors that can be correlated with teaching outcomes.
- PI S$89,208 - MOE AcRF Tier 1, 2022-2024. The project, "Narratives, perceived experience, and false memories of climate change," examines the role of media and narratives in shaping people's beliefs about climate change.
- Co-PI S$1,000,000 (sub-award) - NRF, 2022-2025. The project, "Shaping public adaptive capacity for environmental infectious diseases" is an international collaboration studying public responses to infectious diseases, such as dengue. My work package received a sub-award from the $5 million grant to conduct content analyses, public opinion surveys, and social-psychological experiments.
Latest Publications
Showing up to 6 latest publications from the past 5 years.
- MO Adisa, S Rosenthal, S Oyedeji, I Adaji, J PorrasSustainable Development 34 (1), 718-736, 2026
- B Wang, A Szücs, E Sandalova, ZM Lim, EJ Horberg, PA O’Keefe, ...Gerontology 71 (12), 1021-1030, 2025
- S Rosenthal, BJ LiJournal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 2025
- S Rosenthal, J Komar, VS HoTechnology, Pedagogy and Education 34 (5), 567-581, 2025
- S Rosenthal, S Braiman, DZY PohEducation and Information Technologies, 1-19, 2025
- SS Ho, ASF Chuah, FJW Goh, NM Huang, M Ou, HK Kim, S RosenthalEnvironmental Communication, 1-19, 2025
Qualifications
- PhD, University of Texas at Austin, 2011
- MA, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 2006
- BA (Cum Laude), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2004