Patric R. Spence

Patric R. Spence (PhD 2006) is an Associate Professor at Nicholson School of Communication and Media, University of Central Florida. His research focuses on crisis and risk communication, examining audience perceptions of risk and emergency messages produced by emergency management organizations, government and news agencies; specifically, looking at how these messages motivate various publics to take action in light of perceived threats during the lifecycle of a crisis. Other research examines how the physical and psychological needs of underserved populations are handled in the context of public health events and disasters, industry response and the role of new media in disaster preparation, response and recovery.