Rate My Professor Michael Cacciatore

Michael A. Cacciatore is an Associate Professor in Public Relations and Assistant Department Head in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. He serves as co-director of the Center for Health and Risk Communication. Cacciatore earned his Ph.D. in Mass Communications with a focus on science communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013, an M.S. in Life Sciences Communication from the same institution in 2009, and a B.A. in English from the University of Manitoba in 2006. He joined UGA as an assistant professor in public relations in August 2013, was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2019, and has been recognized as graduate faculty.

Cacciatore's research focuses on science and risk communication, emphasizing media coverage, public opinion formation, and social media's role in topics from nanotechnology and food safety to climate change. His work has been published in journals such as Science Communication, Public Understanding of Science, Risk Analysis, New Media & Society, and Health Affairs. Key publications include "Cultivating interest in science through humor: Mirth as a leveler of gaps in science engagement" (Environmental Communication, 2025, with Yeo, Becker, Anderson, and Patel), "Wit meets wisdom: The relationship between satire and anthropomorphic humor on scientists' likability and legitimacy" (JCOM, 2025, with Frank, Yeo, and Su), and "Examining the use of aggressive satirical humor on perceptions of trustworthiness in communication about renewable energy" (Science Communication, in press, with Yeo et al.). With over 4,900 citations on Google Scholar, his contributions influence media effects, emerging technologies, and survey research. He has secured major grants including a $2.5 million National Science Foundation award as co-principal investigator for engaging multicultural audiences through inclusive STEM content on YouTube (2021-2024) and a $754,239 NSF grant on humor in science communication (2019-2020). Awards include the Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2018), multiple Departmental Teacher of the Year Awards (2015, 2016, 2018), Mass Communication & Society Division First Place Faculty Paper Award (2023), Top Paper Award at IPRRC (2024), Kavli Fellow (2019), and Roland Page Awards for Outstanding Graduate Faculty (2019, 2020).