Dietram ScheufeleView profile
Professor
Dietram Scheufele is the John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and co-director of the Science Communication Incubator Lab (SCI Lab) at the Morgridge Institute for Research. He holds the Taylor-Bascom Chair and directs Academic Programs for the Department of Life Sciences Communication within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Scheufele is internationally recognized as a leading scholar examining public opinion dynamics surrounding controversial science, with expertise in the interplay among media, policy actors, and lay audiences. His educational background includes a PhD in Mass Communications (major) with a minor in Political Science, and an MA in Journalism and Mass Communication, both from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Scheufele has established himself as a prominent voice in science communication theory and practice, bridging academic research with real-world applications through collaborations with organizations like the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and Porter Novelli. Scheufele's research focuses on understanding how public opinion forms around emerging scientific issues, particularly examining the role of media, values, and misinformation in shaping attitudes toward controversial science and technology. His work spans multiple domains including AI, genetic engineering, climate change, and vaccine communication, with particular attention to how digital platforms transform science communication dynamics and public understanding. He has pioneered research on the psychological mechanisms underlying science attitudes and the effectiveness of different communication strategies in polarized environments. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on contemporary challenges in science communication, including AI perceptions, vaccine misinformation, science credibility across demographic groups, and innovative communication formats like science comics. The work demonstrates increasing attention to intersectional issues of race, gender, and political ideology in science communication, as well as methodological innovations in measuring science literacy in digital environments. Member, German National Academy of Science and Engineering Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, International Communication Association Fellow, Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters 2024 American Academy of Political and Social Science Fellowship (Harold Lasswell Fellow) University of Wisconsin–Madison Hilldale Award Scheufele has mentored numerous PhD students who have gone on to academic positions, including Becca Beets at the University of Maryland and Shiyu Yang at the University of Tennessee. His SCI Lab serves as a unique test bed for science communication practitioners and researchers to collaborate, experiment with new ideas in public science engagement, and assess impact through rigorous social scientific approaches. The lab leverages Wisconsin's position as a political 'purple' state to develop scalable models for communicating science that incorporate diverse viewpoints. Scheufele emphasizes the importance of 'paying it forward' in academic mentorship and fostering the next generation of science communication leaders.
