Joseph Trujillo-Falcón conducts bilingual risk and crisis communication research at the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory and the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC). His research focuses on better understanding how U.S. Spanish speakers receive, understand, and respond to weather and climate hazards.
Trujillo-Falcón's research has contributed to significant policy and operational changes across NOAA. As a result of his work, the SPC has implemented a risk category outlook system completely in Spanish that is used by bilingual television stations nationwide. Working with translation teams within the National Weather Service, he has also helped automate Wireless Emergency Alerts into Spanish for the public.
Trujillo-Falcón's contributions have been acknowledged and championed nationwide. In 2022, he was awarded the American Meteorological Society's (AMS) Award for Early Career and Professional Achievement "for innovative and extensive collaboration in risk communication for Spanish-speaking communities and leadership as an exceptional member across multiple AMS boards and committees." He holds a Bachelor of Science in meteorology and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Texas A&M University, and a Master of Arts in communication from the University of Oklahoma, where he is currently also finalizing his PhD.