Joseph Trujillo-Falcón

Dr. Joseph Trujillo-Falcón is an incoming Assistant Professor (August 2025) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, jointly affiliated with the Department of Climate, Meteorology, and Atmospheric Sciences and the Department of Communication. He leads the ALERTAS lab, focusing on multilingual weather and climate communication equity. His interdisciplinary research bridges meteorology and social sciences, driving policy changes in NOAA and the National Weather Service. Previously, he was an Illinois Distinguished Postdoctoral Research Associate and conducted research at NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory and NWS Storm Prediction Center.

Education: Ph.D. in Risk Communication (University of Oklahoma, 2024); M.A. in Organizational Communication (2021); B.S. in Meteorology and B.A. in Spanish (Texas A&M University, 2019).

Research interests include multilingual risk communication strategies for extreme weather, policy advocacy for language equity, and broadcast meteorology practices. He has pioneered frameworks for inclusive watch/warning translations and enhanced wireless emergency alerts for Spanish speakers. His work has influenced NOAA’s operational protocols, emphasizing accessibility for diverse communities.

Teaching: Planning to teach ATMS 491/CMN 496: Extreme Weather Communication Fieldwork (Fall 2025) and courses on environmental hazard communication. Guest lectures across universities on multilingual disaster communication and policy.

Awards: 2024 Premio Orgullo Peruano; 2023 Outstanding Achievement in Research (CIWRO); 2023 Telly Awards (2x); 2022 AMS Early Career Achievement Award.

Labs/Teams: ALERTAS Lab collaborates with practitioners and public stakeholders, advancing equitable communication through surveys, fieldwork, and policy engagement. Collaborators include institutions like NOAA, NWS, and academic departments in communication and meteorology.