Dominique Brossard

Dominique Brossard is a Professor & Chair in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds affiliations with the Robert & Jean Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies, the Energy Institute, the Global Health Institute, and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Her work focuses on the intersection of science, media, and policy, particularly addressing public opinion dynamics and cross-cultural analysis of controversial scientific issues.

She earned an M.S. in Plant Biotechnology from the Ecole Nationale d’Agronomie de Toulouse and advanced degrees (M.P.S. and Ph.D.) in Communication from Cornell University. Her career includes roles at Accenture and the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II, blending corporate strategy with science communication.

Brossard’s research emphasizes strategic communication theory, science communication, and risk communication. Her lab, the Science Communication Incubator, explores how societal values shape public attitudes toward emerging technologies like AI and gene editing. She has authored over 100 articles in top journals and served on National Academy of Sciences panels.

Notable professional roles include Chair of the NSF’s Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Advisory Committee, and current positions on the NASEM Societal Experts Action Network and the Division of Behavioral & Social Sciences & Education. Her awards include Fellowships from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the International Communication Association.

Her recent work examines AI ethics, generative AI’s societal impact, and the role of visual art in science communication. She also investigates how misinformation spreads during crises like the pandemic and the evolving landscape of public trust in science.