Pradeep Sopory

Pradeep Sopory is a Tenured Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Wayne State University since 2024. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1999) and has held academic roles at Wayne State University (2022-present), The University of Memphis (2000-2008), and prior positions. His research focuses on health, risk, and science communication, emphasizing metaphorical language, evidence synthesis, and public health emergencies.

• Education
  • Ph.D., Communication Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1999)
  • M.A., Communication Management, University of Southern California (1990)
  • B.E., Electrical and Electronics Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Srinagar (1984)

Research Interests: Sopory investigates how metaphorical language shapes attitudes in health and risk communication, strategies for public health emergency messaging, and methodological approaches to evidence synthesis. His work bridges quantitative methods with behavioral outcomes in crises, including trust-building during pandemics and media influence on health perceptions.

Scientific Contributions: His recent publications address pandemic communication fatigue, Ethiopian nutrition interventions, and AI’s role in health diagnostics. Funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, NSF, WHO, and NIH, he leads projects on citizen deliberation, HIV testing campaigns, and transdisciplinary sustainability training.

• Selected Scientific Awards
  • Bernard Brock Faculty Research Award (2021)
  • John E. Hunter Award for Meta-Analysis (2004)
  • Top Four Paper Awards (NCA, SCA, ICA divisions)

Teaching & Service: He designed multiple online courses in health/risk communication and mentored 14 Ph.D. students. Served on university-wide committees (Graduate Council, Big Data Cluster Hire) and editorial boards (Health Communication, Human Communication Research). His 2022 NSF grant ($2.99M) highlights his leadership in urban sustainability education.