McKenna Parnes

Project focus: The Fellow will advance climate communication and action through research and fostering meaningful collaboration between scientists and community members.

McKenna Parnes is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Her program of research focuses on how socio-ecological factors play critical roles in youth risk, resilience, and opportunities. She has been examining these associations in the context of the climate crisis, exploring questions related to climate change impacts on youth mental health and strategies that may promote youth engagement in equity-focused action. She is particularly interested in how social media can be leveraged as a communication tool to reduce disparities among youth who experience the greatest climate-related health burdens.