Haoran “Chris” Chu, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor - Department of Public Relations
Graduate Coordinator - Science and Health Communication
Affiliate Scholar - Internal Communication Research Hub

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Haoran Chris Chu’s research expertise lies predominantly in the realms of public health and risk/science communication. Over the years, he has investigated intricacies of public perceptions surrounding health and environmental risks, especially within the contexts of infectious disease prevention, sustainability and resilience, and their associated sociological and psychological constructs.

His work has shed light on how individuals perceive, internalize and act upon health advisories, environmental warnings and science-driven narratives. More recently, his research explores artificial intelligence and its potential to influence public health interventions and communication strategies.

Chu has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications, with many finding their place in prestigious journals such as Journal of Communication, Social Science & Medicine, Global Environmental Change, and Science Communication. His research endeavors have been backed by substantial grant funding. Specifically, he has served as PI and co-PI in grants amounting to more than $400,000. These grants are sourced from a diverse array of both internal and external funding bodies, including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, and the Arthur W. Page Center.

Chu serves on the editorial boards of prestigious journals such as Science Communication and Environmental Communication and is affiliated with the College’s Internal Communication Research Hub and the UF Cancer Center.

Areas of Expertise

Health Communication, Media Sociology, Science Communication, STEM Communication, Vaccine and Climate Change Communication

Education

Ph.D., Communication, University at Buffalo, 2019
Master’s, Journalism, Media, and Communication, Cardiff University (Wales, U.K.), 2015
Bachelor’s, City University of Hong Kong

News

• Huan Chen and Haoran “Chris” Chu receive prestigious 2026 Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar Grants (April 7, 2026)
• Haoran “Chris” Chu, Linjuan Rita Men and Yuan Sun Receive Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar Grant (April 4, 2025)
• Chris Chu Co-Authors Article on AI-Generated vs. Human-Written Stories (October 25, 2024)
• People Hate Stories They Think Were Written by AI. Even if People Wrote Them (October 25, 2024)
• Study: News Media Use Can Impact Perceived Psychological Distance to COVID-19 (September 6, 2023)
• All News About Haoran "Chris" Chu →

Publications

Refereed Journal Articles

Hong, Y., Chu, H., Xie, Z., & Dalisay, F. (2025). Before Helene's Landfall: Analysis of Disaster Risk Perceptions and Preparedness Assessment in the Southeastern United States in 2023. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph22020155

Bryan, E. G., Chen, H., Vilaro, M., Chu, H., Grillo, G., Te, P., Buhr, M., Anton, S., & Krieger, J. L. (2024). Developing a supportive virtual human to deliver clinical trial education for older women and other populations historically excluded from research. Patient Education & Counselling. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2024.108485

Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2024). Can AI tell good stories? Narrative Transportation and Persuasion with ChatGPT. Journal of Communication.

Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2023). Risk-Efficacy Framework – A new perspective on threat and efficacy appraisal and the role of disparity. Current Psychology.

Liu, S., & Chu, H. (2023). Parents’ COVID-19, HPV, and Monkeypox vaccination intention: A multilevel structural equation model of risk, benefit, barrier, and efficacy perceptions and individual characteristics. Patient Education and Counseling.

Lu, H., & Chu, H. (2023). Let the Dead Talk: How Deepfake Resurrection Narratives Influence Audience Response in Prosocial Contexts. Computers in Human Behavior.

Liu, S., & Chu, H. (2022). Examining the direct and indirect effects of trust in motivating COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Patient Education and Counseling.

Lu, H., & Chu, H. (2022). The Search Between Two Worlds: Motivations for and Consequences of US-Dwelling Chinese’s Use of US and Chinese Media for COVID-19 Information. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 10776990211073951.

Gong, Z. H., & Chu, H. (2022). Seeing Risks or Solutions: Psychological Distance and Ecological Worldview Moderated the Effect of Disgust Images on Attention to Environmental Messages. Sage Open, 12(2). DOI: 10.1177/2158244022110385

Chu, H. (2022). Construing Climate Change: Psychological distance, individual difference and construal level of climate change. Environmental Communication.

Yuan, S., & Chu, H. (2022). Vaccine for yourself, your community, or your country? Examining audiences’ response to distance framing of COVID-19 vaccine messages. Patient Education and Counseling, 105(2), 284-289.

Chu, H., Yuan, S., & Liu, S. (2021). Call them COVIDiots: Exploring the effects of aggressive communication style and psychological distance in the communication of COVID-19. Public Understanding of Science, 30(3), 240-257.

Lu, H., Chu, H., & Ma, Y. (2021). Experience, experts, statistics, or just science? Predictors and consequences of reliance on different evidence types during the COVID-19 infodemic. Public Understanding of Science, 30(5), 515-534.

Yang, J. Z., Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2021). FEMA, media, or search engine? Rumor validation on social media during Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Disasters.

Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2021). Integrating health behavior theories to predict COVID-19 vaccines uptake intent among the American public.

Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2021). Light at the end of the tunnel: Influence of vaccine availability and vaccination intention on people’s consideration of the COVID-19 vaccine. Social Science & Medicine, 286, 114315.

Chu, H., Yang, J. Z., & Liu, S. (2021). Not My Pandemic: Solution Aversion and the Polarized Public Perception of COVID-19. Science Communication, 43(4), 508-528.

Chu, H., Liu, S., & Yang, J. Z. (2021). Together we survive: the role of social messaging networks in building social capital and disaster resilience among minority communities. Natural Hazards, 106(3), 2711-2729.

Liu, S., Yang, J. Z., & Chu, H. (2021). When we increase fear, do we dampen hope? Using narrative persuasion to promote human papillomavirus vaccination in China. Journal of health psychology, 26(11), 1999-2009.

Lu, H., Chu, H., & Ma, Y. (2021). Mask on while Asian: how media use, hostile media perceptions, and alienation influence US-Dwelling Chinese’s protective behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Social Science Journal, 1-15.

Chu, H., & Lu, H. (2021). Acculturation, Bilateral Hostility, and Psychological Wellbeing of US-dwelling Chinese during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Health communication, 1-12.

Chu, H., & Yang, J. Z. (2020). Building disaster resilience using social messaging networks: the WeChat community in Houston, Texas, during Hurricane Harvey. Disasters, 44(4), 726-752.

Chu, H., & Yang, J. Z. (2020). Risk or efficacy? How psychological distance influences climate change engagement. Risk Analysis, 40(4), 758-770.

Chu, H., & Yang, J. (2020). Their economy and our health: Communicating climate change to the divided american public. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21), 7718.

Chu, H., & Yang, J. Z. (2019). Emotion and the psychological distance of climate change. Science Communication, 41(6), 761-789.

Yang, J. Z., Chu, H., & Kahlor, L. (2019). Fearful conservatives, angry liberals: Information processing related to the 2016 presidential election and climate change. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 96(3), 742-766.

Liu, S., Yang, J. Z., & Chu, H. (2019). Now or future? Analyzing the effects of message frame and format in motivating Chinese females to get HPV vaccines for their children. Patient education and counseling, 102(1), 61-67.

Liu, S., Yang, J. Z., Chu, H., Sun, S., & Li, H. (2018). Different culture or different mind? Perception and acceptance of HPV vaccine in China and in the US. Journal of health communication, 23(12), 1008-1016.

Grizzard, M., Huang, J., Fitzgerald, K., Ahn, C., & Chu, H. (2018). Sensing heroes and villains: Character-schema and the disposition formation process. Communication research, 45(4), 479-501.

Chu, H., & Yang, J. Z. (2018). Taking climate change here and now--mitigating ideological polarization with psychological distance. Global Environmental Change, 53, 174-181.

Yang, J. Z., & Chu, H. (2018). Who is afraid of the Ebola outbreak? The influence of discrete emotions on risk perception. Journal of Risk Research, 21(7), 834-853.

Grizzard, M., Huang, J., Weiss, J. K., Novotny, E. R., Fitzgerald, K. S., Ahn, C., Ngoh, Z., Plante, A., & Chu, H. (2017). Graphic violence as moral motivator: The effects of graphically violent content in news. Mass Communication and Society, 20(6), 763-783.

Presentations

Liu, S., Chu, H., Yuan, S., & Men, R. (2025). Did AI write this? Effects of User Experience and AI Readiness on Detecting AI-generated Content. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.

Yuan, S., & Chu, H. (2025). Meeting Expectations: Exploring Public Perceptions of Corporate and Governmental Carbon Reduction through Expectancy Violation. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.

Chu, H., Men, R., Liu, S., & Yuan, S. (2025). Source Heuristics and Consequences of Detecting AI-Generated Self-Presentations. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.

Liu, S., Chu, H., & Sun, Y. (2025). Bridging the Support Gap: Examining the Effects of Narrative-Focused AI Chatbots in Smoking Cessation Support. Paper/Poster at 2025 Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM), San Francisco, CA.

Chu, H. (2025). From Draft to Acceptance: Expert Tips for a Strong Submission. Oral Presentation at Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication COMSHER Division Expert Panel Discussion.

Yuan, S., & Chu, H. (2024). Assessing Effects of Corporate Carbon Reduction Efforts via Public Expectation Violation. Paper/Poster at Society for Risk Analysis Annual Convention, Austin, TX.

Chu, H., & Yuan, S. (2024). Public Perception of Carbon Emission Reduction Strategies: A Moral Psychological Perspective. Oral Presentation at Society for Risk Analysis Annual Convention, Austin, TX.

Chu, H. (2024). Message Tailoring in Health Communication Campaigns. Lecture at University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.

Chu, H., & Yuan, S. (2024). Carbon credit does not buy moral credit: Licensing and hypocrisy of offsetting and reduction. Oral Presentation at Association for Education in Journalism and Communication Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

Yuan, S., & Chu, H. (2024). Whose Green Is Greener? Examining the Effects of Corporate’s Insetting and Offsetting Carbon Emission Efforts on Purchase Intention. Paper/Poster at Association for Education in Journalism and Communication Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2024). Generating Targeted and Tailored Health Communication Narratives With AI. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.

Chu, H. (2024). Psychological Distance of Climate Change and Infectious Diseases. Oral Presentation at Graduate Colloquium .

Yao, S., & Chu, H. (2023). Examining psychological distance and construal level effects on people’s disease barrier perception about online health consultation. Paper/Poster at Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting.

Yuan, S., & Chu, H. (2023). Licensed to greenwash? Investigating corporations' approach to sustainability communication. Oral Presentation at Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting.

Chambers, K., & Chu, H. (2023). Our Shot to Improve Vaccine Uptake: Evaluating Gain-Loss Framing in the Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccine Context. Paper/Poster at Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.

Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2023). Perception and enjoyment of AI-generated narratives in the age of artificial intelligence. Oral Presentation at Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting.

Chu, H. (2023). Structural Equation Models and Multi-level Models. Lecture at Guest Lecture for UCF's School of Communication.

Chu, H. (2023). A New Conceptualization of Risk and Efficacy Perception. Lecture at Guest Lecture .

Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2023). Can AI tell good stories? Narrative Transportation and Persuasion with ChatGPT. Oral Presentation at Association for Education in Journalism and Communication Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

Matthews, A., Hmielowski, J., & Chu, H. (2023). Going the Distance for COVID 19: Relationships among News Use, Psychological Distance, Risk Perceptions and Behavioral Intentions. Paper/Poster at Association for Education in Journalism and Communication Annual Conference.

Yao, S., & Chu, H. (2023). Privacy Concern and Online Medical Consultation: A Survey Based on the Health Belief Model. Paper/Poster at Association for Education in Journalism and Communication Annual Conference.

Lu, H., & Chu, H. (2023). Let the Dead Talk: How Deepfake Resurrection Narratives Influence Audience Response in Prosocial Contexts. Paper/Poster at International Communication Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada.

Liu, S., & Chu, H. (2023). Psychological Distance, Construal Level, and Parental Vaccine Hesitancy for COVID-19, HPV, and Monkey Pox Vaccines. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, CO, Canada.

Chu, H. (2022). A new way to configure severity and susceptibility perception to predict risk behaviors and attitudes. Paper/Poster at Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL.

Chu, H. (2022). Disaster Exposure and the Psychological Distance of Climate Change. Paper/Poster at Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting.

Chu, H. (2022). Increased polarization in public view on climate change after exposure to natural hazards. Paper/Poster at Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting.

Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2022). Predicting vaccination intentions for COVID-19, HPV, and monkeypox. Paper/Poster at Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL.

Chu, H. (2022). Your friendly neighborhood social networks: Location-based online social networks and disparity in disaster resilience. Paper/Poster at International Communication Association Annual Conference.

Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2022). Risk-Efficacy Framework – A new perspective on threat and efficacy appraisal and the role of disparity. Paper/Poster at Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference, Detroit, MI.

Chu, H. (2022). Temporal decay in the reduced psychological distance of climate change after exposure to natural disasters. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Conference.

Chu, H. (2021). The role of online social networks in cultivating social capital and disaster resilience during and after the 2021 Texas Winter Storms. Oral Presentation at Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting.

Gong, Z., & Chu, H. (2021). Seeing Risks or Solutions: Psychological Distance and Ecological Worldview Moderated the Effect of Disgust Imagery on Visual Attention to Environmental Messages. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Conference.

Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2021). Light at the end of the tunnel: Influence of vaccine availability and vaccination intention on people’s consideration of the COVID-19 vaccine. Paper/Poster at Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference.

Chu, H., & Lu, H. (2021). Acculturation, bilateral hostility, and psychological wellbeing of U.S.-dwelling Chinese during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Conference.

Liu, S., Yang, J., & Chu, H. (2021). Close to you: Using distance framing and narrative persuasion to communicate about ocean plastic pollutio. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Conference.

Lu, H., & Chu, H. (2021). How Acculturation, Media Perceptions, and Alienation Influence U.S.-Dwelling Chinese’s Protective Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Conference.

Chu, H., & Liu, S. (2021). Integrating health behavior theories to predict COVID-19 vaccines uptake intent among the American public. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Conference.

Lu, H., & Chu, H. (2021). Motivations and Consequences regarding U.S.-Dwelling Chinese’s Use of U.S. and Chinese Media for COVID-19 Information. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Conference.

Liu, S., Yang, J., & Chu, H. (2021). Not my pandemic: Solution aversion and the polarized public perception of COVID-19. Oral Presentation at International Communication Association Annual Conference.

Research

Specialization

Risk Communication, Health Communication, Environmental Communication, Quantitative Research Method

Courses

• COM 6815 - Risk Communication - Fall 2025 (PDF)
• PUR 3500 - Public Relations Research - Fall 2025 (PDF)
• MMC 6936 - Generative AI in Persuasive Communication - Spring 2025 (PDF)
• PUR 3500 - Public Relations Research - Spring 2025 (PDF)