Bradley Olson, Ph.D.

Community and communication: Exploring their intersection

Community media

Agricultural communication campaigns

My research primarily examines the applications of communication to communities and community development, which I further divide into three focus areas:

• Civic communication and engagement - the processes by which residents interact and organize with each other, local government, and other entities to act on local community issues and priorities
• Community information ecosystems – the sources, methods, and technologies that enable residents and governments to collect, transform, and disseminate information that supports local life, governance, and civic involvement
• Community media – physical and digital communication products made by, for, and about local community members, designed to achieve four ideals (localism, diverse participation, storytelling and deliberation, and empowerment)

In other current work, I am working with an multidisciplinary team to explore the environmental impact of the online food delivery sector and how communicating information and providing more options in the order process can "nudge" consumers to make more sustainable choices and reduce their impact.