Rachit Dubey

Rachit Dubey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at UCLA, affiliated with the College of Letters & Science. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Princeton University, an M.S. in Education from UC Berkeley, and a BEng in Computer Science from Nanyang Technological University. His research bridges computational modeling, behavioral experiments, and policy design to address climate change challenges, focusing on human motivation and policy impact.

Key research areas include using AI-generated visualizations to enhance climate communication, understanding cognitive underpinnings of climate inaction, and designing interventions to reduce polarization. His work has been featured in Nature Human Behavior, Nature Sustainability, and PNAS.

Notable contributions include demonstrating that binary climate data visuals significantly amplify perceived urgency compared to gradual trends, and developing computational models of grief using reinforcement learning. He received the 2024 SfNC Dissertation Award for his doctoral work.

Dr. Dubey collaborates closely with policymakers to bridge research and practice, and is recruiting PhD students in cognitive science, climate policy, and machine learning. His lab, the Computational Cognitive Policy Lab, emphasizes quantitative rigor and interdisciplinary collaboration.