Julia Daisy Fraustino

Julia Daisy Fraustino, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized risk and crisis communication scientist, public interest communication scholar, and strategic communication educator. An associate professor in the Reed School of Media and Communications at West Virginia University (WVU), Fraustino is founding director of the Public Interest Communication Research Laboratory (PIC Lab). 

In the PIC Lab, social and behavioral scientists and students work side-by-side with community partners to harness the power of science, strong communities, and strategic communication for positive social change. In 2025, Fraustino and the PIC Lab were honored as a Patriotic Employer by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program.

Fraustino specializes in risk, crisis, and disaster communication science and ethics. Using mixed-methods social science, behavioral theory, and community-engaged approaches, she investigates communication factors related to community resilience, health, security, and human flourishing. She has worked on projects funded by organizations such as the AAP, CDC, DARPA, DHS, NIH, NSF, and the West Virginia Department of Health, often applying translational and implementation science to create data-driven strategies and innovations for positive change.

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic Fraustino served for years in the Joint Information Center of West Virginia’s Joint Interagency Task Force, helping lead coordinated communication for public health and security. Her teams contributed evidence-based messaging and innovations throughout the Mountain State and nationwide. For this work, she received a U.S. Army Civilian Commendation Medal for exceptional service to the state and nation, was named a West Virginia Woman Making History by the WV Immunization Network, and earned a WVU Provost MVP Research Award, among others.

Her work has been recognized regionally, nationally, and internationally. A few such honors include the WVU Caveney Faculty Excellence Award, Faculty Research Awards from the WVU Reed College of Media, a national AEJMC Emerging Scholar Award, the Doug Newsom Award for Research in Global Ethics and Diversity from the AEJMC PR Division, and a Frank Prize in Public Interest Communication finalist for her published research on the CDC’s Zombie Apocalypse Preparedness campaign. She has earned numerous top paper awards and other recognitions from leading communication associations such as AEJMC, ICA, and NCA. Fraustino has provided expert briefings for the White House and has served as a Terrorism Research Award (TRA) Fellow with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). 

In the classroom, Fraustino teaches several undergraduate and graduate courses. Embracing a service-learning approach, she empowers students to apply their knowledge by creating real-world communication solutions for Appalachian organizations and causes. She also serves as faculty advisor to student organizations such as A Moment of Magic WVU. 

Fraustino brings years of professional experience from for-profit, nonprofit, and government strategic communication practice to her teaching, research, and mentorship. She holds a B.A. in public relations and philosophy from The University of Scranton (Jesuit), an M.A. in media studies from Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. in communication with emphasis in crisis communication science from the University of Maryland.