Tim Scharks earned a Ph.D. from the Evans School’s Public Policy & Management program in 2016. He completed his degree while employed as a tenured Geography Instructor at Green River College. He has taught extensively at two- and four-year colleges on topics ranging from environmental studies and geography to behavioral economics. His past service includes terms as President of the Washington Geographic Alliance and President of the Association of Washington Geographers. While at the Evans School, Tim completed a graduate certificate at the University of Washington’s Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology.
Tim’s environmental policy research is interdisciplinary, applying theory from psychology and communication to public policy. His dissertation examines emotional reactions to climate change advertising and their effect on public support for climate change mitigation policy. Tim hopes his research will inform policymakers and organizations working to communicate the urgency of environmental issues effectively.
Dissertation title: Threatening Messages in Climate Change Communication
Tim’s dissertation has been nominated for the UW Graduate School’s Distinguished Dissertation Award.
Scharks, T., & Masuda, Y.J.(2016). Don’t Discount Economic Valuation for Conservation. Conservation Letters, 9(1), 3-4. doi: 10.1111/conl.12234
Masuda, Y.J., & Scharks, T. (2014). Fauna in decline: A big leap to slavery. Letter in Science, 346(6211), 819. doi: 10.1126/science.346.6211.819-a
Scharks, T., Bostrom, A., Reimann-Garretson, L., & Rix, G. (2014). Risk Decision Making and Seismic Risk Preparedness at North American Seaports: Analysis of a System-wide Survey. Earthquake Spectra, 30(4), 1-19. doi: 10.1193/081711EQS199M