Why communication is critical to tackling the climate crisis Katharine Hayhoe. Image: Ashley Rodgers/Texas Tech University Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe has spent years perfecting the art of science communication when it comes to talking about the climate emergency. Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist and professor at Texas Tech University, where she is co-director of the Climate Science Center. Her research focuses on understanding what the climate crisis means for people. Speaking to Siliconrepublic.com, she said that while science was definitely in her blood, climate science is not where she was originally heading. “My dad was a science teacher and he had six sisters, three daughters. The only other male in the house was the cat,” she said.