معرفی
Dan M. Kahan is the Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law at Yale Law School and holds a secondary appointment as Professor of Psychology at Yale University. He specializes in science communication, cultural cognition, risk perception, and criminal law. Prior to Yale (since 1999), he was on the faculty of the University of Chicago Law School (1997–1999). His career includes clerkships with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (1990–1991) and Judge Harry Edwards of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals (1989–1990). Kahan earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School (magna cum laude, 1989) and B.A. from Middlebury College (summa cum laude, 1986).
His research explores how cultural values shape perceptions of scientific evidence and legal norms. Key areas include:
- Science communication strategies to bridge political divides
- Cognitive mechanisms of motivated reasoning
- Risk perception in climate change and emerging technologies
- Legal implications of cultural cognition
Kahan has received significant recognition, including election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2013). His work has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and private foundations, focusing on science literacy, geoengineering communication, and public policy.
Teaching responsibilities include courses on criminal law, evidence, law and cognition, and the science of science communication. He has advised numerous interdisciplinary research initiatives and collaborates with institutions like the Annenberg Public Policy Center and the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement.
