Biography
Meghnaa Tallapragada is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations. Prior to joining Temple University, Tallapragada held positions in the Department of Communication at Clemson University and the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. She graduated from Cornell University with a PhD in Communication and from North Carolina State University with a MS in Communication. She also holds a BE in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from CBIT, India. She is passionate about combining her background as an engineer and a strategic science communication scholar. Through research she strives to bring science and technology closer to people. Her work has been published in journals including Science Communication, Public Understanding of Science, Science and Engineering Ethics, Communication Education, and Public Relations Review. As a teacher, Tallapragada strives to maintain a safe and inclusive space for students so they can develop into creative thinkers who can, not only help solve current public relations dilemmas but also, feel empowered to better their individual selves. She also founded Project Colorism, a research and Instagram project "dedicated to sharing stories of people experiencing colorism, exploring the level of agency they feel about addressing colorism, and the strategies they have built to shield their self-worth from colorist expressions.
Research Interests
- Communication effects and psychological processes
- Global media, social change, and activism
- Science communication and education
- Public understanding of science
- Risk communication
Courses Taught
Number | Name | Level |
|---|---|---|
ADV 3000 | Rocking the World: Disrupting Stereotypes of Race, Class, and Religion | Undergraduate |
ADV 3900 | Rocking the World: Disrupting Stereotypes of Race, Class, and Religion | Undergraduate |
JRN 3730 | Rocking the World: Disrupting Stereotypes of Race, Class, and Religion | Undergraduate |
MSP 2900 | Rocking the World: Disrupting Stereotypes of Race, Class, and Religion | Undergraduate |
MSP 3590 | Rocking the World: Disrupting Stereotypes of Race, Class, and Religion | Undergraduate |
PR 2551 | Research Methods | Undergraduate |
PR 2701 | Public Relations Theory | Undergraduate |
PR 3440 | Rocking the World: Disrupting Stereotypes of Race, Class, and Religion | Undergraduate |
MMC 9002 | Researching Commun I | Graduate |
MMC 9700 | Advanced Topic/MMC I | Graduate |
MSP 8010 | Rocking the World: Disrupting Stereotypes of Race, Class, and Religion | Graduate |
Selected Publications
Recent
Hardy, B. & Tallapragada, M. (2021). The moderating role of interest in politics and news consumption in the relationship between political ideology and beliefs about science and scientists in the United States. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 24(5), 783-796. doi: 10.1177/13684302211013913.
Tallapragada, M., Hardy, B.W., Lybrand, E., & Hallman, W.K. (2021). Impact of Abstract Versus Concrete Conceptualization of Genetic Modification (GM) Technology on Public Perceptions. Risk Anal, 41(6), 976-991. United States. 10.1111/risa.13591
Cranmer, G., Rey, R., & Tallapragada, M. (2021). Exploring the role of parents’ sport orientations in the efficacy of concussion intervention materials. Communication Research Reports, 38(4), 250-261. doi: 10.1080/08824096.2021.1936480.
Tallapragada, M., Prosser, K., Braffitt, K., Bridgeford, K., Gleaton, E., Saverance, M., Noonan, K., Payton, T., Sims, R., Smith, K., & Childress, M. (2021). Something Very Fishy: An Informal STEAM Project Making a Case for Ocean Conservation and Climate Change. Environmental Communication, 15(7), 904-922. doi: 10.1080/17524032.2021.1913208.
Hasell, A., Lyons, B., Tallapragada, M., & Jamieson, K. (2020). Improving GM Consensus Acceptance Through Reduced Reactance and Climate Change-based Message Targeting. Environmental Communication, 14(7), 987-1003. doi: 10.1080/17524032.2020.1746377.
Tallapragada, M. & Cranmer, G. (2020). Media Narratives About Concussions: Effects on Parents’ Intention to Inform Their Children About Concussions. Communication and Sport. doi: 10.1177/2167479520944549.