Research Interests

Scientific and technical communication; Narrative information visualization; Risk communication; User-centered design; Digital humanities

Publications

Articles/Essays

• S. H. Stephens and A. Altamirano. (2024) “Envisioning user agency during development of a natural hazard communication website.” Journal of Business and Technical Communication. 38(4): 345–370. DOI: 10.1177/10506519241258456
  
  
  
• S. H. Stephens and D. E. DeLorme. (2024) “Incorporating lived experience narratives into interdisciplinary projects: A technique for better environmental communication.” Environmental Science and Policy. 160: 103855. DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103855
  
• D. P. Richards and S. H. Stephens. (2022) “Do voices really make a difference? Investigating the value of local video narratives in risk perceptions and attitudes towards sea level rise.” Technical Communication. 69(4): 79–96. DOI: 10.55177/tc105639
  
• D. E. Delorme, S. H. Stephens, and R. C. Collini. (2022) “Coastal hazard mitigation considerations: Perspectives from northern Gulf of Mexico coastal professionals and decision-makers.” Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. 12: 669–681. DOI: 10.1007/s13412-022-00771-z
  
  
• A. Altamirano and S. H. Stephens. (2022) “Experience Report: Streamlining complex website design using a content audit selection heuristic.” Communication Design Quarterly. 10(1): 14–23. DOI: 10.1145/3507454.3507456
  
• D. E. DeLorme, S. H. Stephens, R. Collini, D. W. Yoskowitz, and S. C. Hagen (2021) “Communicating and understanding ecosystem services assessment with coastal stakeholders: Obstacles and opportunities.” Frontiers in Communication. 6: 656884. DOI: 10.3389/fcomm.2021.656884
  
• T. R. Amidon, A. C. Nielsen, E. H. Pflugfelder, D. P. Richards, and S. H. Stephens. (2021) “Visual risk literacy in “Flatten the Curve” COVID-19 visualizations.” Journal of Business and Technical Communication. 35: 101–109. DOI: 10.1177/1050651920963439
  
• D. E. DeLorme, S. H. Stephens, M. V. Bilskie, and S. C. Hagen. (2020) “Coastal decision-makers’ perspectives on updating storm surge guidance tools.” Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management. 28(2): 158–168. DOI: 10.1111/1468-5973.12291
• S. H. Stephens, D. E. DeLorme, and S. C. Hagen. (2020) “Coastal stakeholders’ perceptions of sea level rise adaptation planning in the northern Gulf of Mexico.” Environmental Management. 66: 407–418. DOI: 10.1007/s00267-020-01315
• S. H. Stephens and D. P. Richards. (2020) “Story mapping and sea level rise: Listening to global risks at street level.” Communication Design Quarterly. 8(1): 5–18. DOI: 10.1145/3375134.3375135
• S. H. Stephens and D. E. DeLorme. (2019) “A framework for user agency during development of interactive risk visualization tools.” 28: 391–406. Technical Communication Quarterly. DOI: 10.1080/10572252.2019.1618498
• S. H. Stephens. (2018) “Using interface rhetoric to understand audience agency in natural history apps.” Technical Communication. 65(3): 280–292.
• D. E. DeLorme, S. H. Stephens, S. C. Hagen, and M. Bilskie. (2018) “Communicating with coastal decision-makers and environmental educators via sea level rise decision-support tools.” Journal of Science Communication. 17(3): A03. DOI: 10.22323/2.17030203.
• S. H. Stephens. (2019) “A narrative approach to interactive information visualization in the digital humanities classroom.” Arts and Humanities in Higher Education. 18(4): 416–429. DOI: 10.1177/1474022218759632
• D. E. DeLorme, S. H. Stephens and S. C. Hagen. (2018) “Transdisciplinary sea level rise risk communication and outreach strategies from stakeholder focus groups.” Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. 8:13–21. DOI: 10.1007/s13412-017-0443-8
• J. D. Applen and S. H. Stephens. (2017) “Digital humanities, middleware, and user experience design for public health applications.” Communication Design Quarterly. 5(3): 24-34.
• S. H. Stephens, D. E. DeLorme and S. C. Hagen. (2017) "Evaluation of the design features of interactive sea-level rise viewers for risk communication." Environmental Communication. 11(2):248-262. DOI:10.1080/17524032.2016.1167758
• D. E. DeLorme, D. Kidwell, S. C. Hagen, and S. H. Stephens. (2016) “Developing and managing transdisciplinary and transformative research on the coastal dynamics of sea level rise: Experiences and lessons learned.” Earth’s Future. 4(5): 194–209. DOI: 10.1002/2015EF000346.
• S. H. Stephens, D. E. DeLorme and S. C. Hagen. (2015) “Evaluating the utility and communicative effectiveness of an interactive sea level rise viewer through stakeholder engagement.” Journal of Business and Technical Communication. 29(3): 314-343. DOI: 10.1177/1050651915573963
• S. H. Stephens, D. E. DeLorme and S. C. Hagen. (2014) “An analysis of the narrative-building features of interactive sea level rise viewers.” Science Communication. 36(6): 675-705. DOI: 10.1177/1075547014550371
• S. H. Stephens. (2014) “Communicating evolution with a Dynamic Evolutionary Map.” Journal of Science Communication. 13(1): A04.
• S. Stephens. (2012) “From tree to map: Using cognitive learning theory to suggest alternative ways to visualize macroevolution.” Evolution: Education and Outreach. 5(4): 603-618.

Conference Papers/Presentations

• S. H. Stephens and S. Singer, March 2024. “Incorporating lived experience research into technical and professional communication research.” Symposium on Communicating Complex Information, Norfolk, VA.

• S. H. Stephens and D. E. DeLorme, July 2023. “Understanding community members’ lived experiences can help communicators develop better risk communication tools.” Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences Conference. Portland, OR.

• S. H. Stephens and A. Altamirano. (2022) “Supporting community resilience to environmental hazards through user-centered design.” SIGDOC 2022, Boston, MA. DOI: 10.1145/3513130.3558989

  
  

• S. H. Stephens, et al. April 2022. “HazardAware: A new tool for risk and resilience education.” The Gulf of Mexico Conference (GoMCon) 2022. Baton Rouge, LA.

• S. H. Stephens and A. Altamirano, October 2021. “Understanding user expertise through lived experience: Making natural hazard risk and mitigation information more accountable to users.” SIGDOC 2021, virtual. DOI: 10.1145/3472714.3473660
  
  
• S. H. Stephens and J. D. Applen, October 2021. “Developing online resources to inform technical communication majors about graduate school.” CPTSC 2021, virtual.
  
• Y.R. Fernández and S. H. Stephens, October 2021. “Applying user-centered design to improve astronomy outreach.” American Astronomical Society Division of Planetary Sciences 53rd Meeting, virtual conference.
  
• A. Altamirano and S. H. Stephens, February 2021. “Web content audits: A powerful tool for complex website design.” Symposium on Communicating Complex Information, Norfolk, VA.
  
• S. Raffel and S. Stephens, July 2020. “How hurricane visualization tools affect the public’s perception of risk and preparedness.” ProComm 2020, Kennesaw, GA.
  
• S. H. Stephens, October 2019. “Telling the stories of nonhuman agents in the Anthropocene.” SIGDOC 2019, Portland, OR.
• S. H. Stephens, June 2019. “Using digital tools for community disaster response: Social media and the 2018 Kīlauea Volcano eruption.” Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Orlando, FL.
• S. H. Stephens, March 2019. “Using deep mapping in participatory design.” Association for Teachers of Technical Writing, Pittsburgh, PA.
• S. H. Stephens and D. P. Richards, August 2018. “Story mapping and sea level rise: Bringing a global risk home.” SIGDOC 2018, Milwaukee WI.
• S. H. Stephens and D. P. Richards, June 2018. “Connecting to community concerns through sea level rise stories.” Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Washington, DC.
• S. H. Stephens, D. E. DeLorme, R. C. Collini, and S. C. Hagen, June 2018. “An analysis of stakeholder advisory committees in coastal resiliency projects.” Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Washington, DC.
• S. H. Stephens and D. E. DeLorme, December 2017. “Benefits, challenges, and best practices for involving audiences in the development of interactive coastal risk communication tools: Professional communicators’ experiences.” American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2017, New Orleans, LA.
• S. H. Stephens. November 2017. "Rhetoric, agency, and risk visualization for diverse audiences." HASTAC 2017, Orlando, FL.
• S. H. Stephens, August 2017. "Designer perceptions of user agency during the development of environmental risk visualization tools." SIGDOC 2017, Halifax, Canada.
• S. Stephens and J. D. Applen, October 2016. “Rhetorical dimensions of social network analysis visualization for public health.” ProComm 2016, Austin TX.
• S. H. Stephens and D. E. DeLorme, June 2016. “Making sea level rise risk research responsive to community needs.” Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Washington, DC.
• S. H. Stephens, May 2016. “Bird identification guides as interface: Transformation and continuity.” Rhetoric Society of America, Atlanta, GA.
• M. Shelton and S. Stephens, February 2016. “Connecting scientists to citizens regarding sea level rise.” Social Coast Forum, Charleston, SC.

Courses