Juliet Carlisle

Juliet Carlisle is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and the School of Environment, Society & Sustainability at the University of Utah. She holds a joint appointment across these departments, reflecting her interdisciplinary research at the intersection of political behavior, public opinion, and environmental policy. Her work focuses on understanding how demographic, cognitive, psychological, and contextual factors shape attitudes regarding environmental issues, energy development, and public health.

Dr. Carlisle received her educational training at:

• BA in Political Science from the University of Washington
• MA in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara
• PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara

Dr. Carlisle's research substantively deals with political behavior and public opinion with an emphasis on environmental politics and policy. She broadly considers public opinion dynamics and has investigated various topics including environmental attitudes, offshore oil drilling, large-scale solar development, and vaccine acceptance. Her co-authored book, The Politics of Energy Crises (2017), published by Oxford University Press, applies agenda setting and punctuated equilibrium theories to energy policy during crises.

Her current research program focuses on four key projects: contestation of election results; climate change attitudes across generations; climate emotions and collective engagement across generations; and public opinion regarding energy development in the American West. Dr. Carlisle is particularly interested in how emotions and generational dynamics shape public engagement on climate issues, with her upcoming Fulbright research at the University of Exeter examining how climate-related emotions (particularly anxiety and hope) influence collective action across generations in the UK context.

Dr. Carlisle has received numerous scientific awards and honors for her scholarly contributions:

• Francis D. Wormuth Esteemed Scholar Award (2024)
• US-UK Fulbright Commission Scholar Award (2025-2026)
• The VP-NSF Cohort Program (2023-2024)
• Betty Glad Memorial Fund (2020)
• Benjamin E. and Patricia M. (Dyson) Doty Faculty Award (2016)
• Affiliate of the Year from Energy Policy Institute (2016)
• Charles Redd Center Award for Best Paper on the Politics of the American West (2015)

As an active researcher and mentor, Dr. Carlisle serves on the editorial board of Political Behavior and co-founded the Environmental Politics Virtual Group. She is particularly dedicated to mentoring first-generation and women scholars in environmental leadership. Her research has been supported by various grants, including the Optimal Water Use and Conservation in Urban Settings grant from the Castle Foundation (2020-2021) and her upcoming Fulbright research at the University of Exeter.

Dr. Carlisle participates actively in professional service, including serving on committees for the Western Political Science Association (WPSA), the Climate Action Committee, and the Energy Policy Research Conference Advisory Board. She has also engaged in community outreach, including panel discussions on "The Social Implications of Climate Change" at Brigham Young University.