short bio

Dietram A. Scheufele is the Taylor-Bascom Chair and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also an Investigator in the Morgridge Institute for Research, and a Distinguished Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center.

As a social scientist, Scheufele is widely known for his pioneering work in establishing (the science of) science communication as an academic field. His research examines how different communities, including scientists themselves, perceive and engage with emerging technologies, scientific advancements, and controversial issues. He has written extensively about the importance of engaging the public in scientific decision-making processes. Scheufele is particularly interested in evidence-informed approaches to facilitating public participation, enhancing science literacy, and fostering dialogue among scientists, policymakers, and the public to ensure more informed and inclusive decision-making on science-related issues.

Scheufele is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the German National Academy of Science and Engineering, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. Scheufele is also an elected fellow of the and the International Communication Association, and a lifetime associate of the U.S. National Research Council.

He has won teaching awards from both universities at which he has held tenured appointments, including the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award at UW, the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Young Faculty Teaching Award, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Spitzer Excellence in Teaching Award.

Over the course of his career, Scheufele has held fellowships or visiting appointments at a number of other universities, including Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, the Technische Universität Dresden, the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, and - most recently - the Universität Wien.

His consulting portfolio includes work for DeepMind, Porter Novelli, PBS, WHO, and the World Bank.

research

Scheufele is author or co-author of over 250 articles and monographs, and one of the most widely-cited experts globally across a variety of research fields, including misinformation, science communication, health communication, and science & technology policy. 

His research has been recognized with awards from both professional and scholarly organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the International Communication Association, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and the World Association for Public Opinion Research.

Extramural support for Scheufele's research program comes from a wide variety of public and private funders, including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the John Templeton Foundation, Rita Allen Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

 

public scholarship and service

Scheufele currently co-chairs the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication Research and Practice. He also serves on NASEM’s Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education Advisory Committee, the LabX Advisory Board, and the Board on Health Sciences Policy. Since 2012, he has co-organized five NASEM Sackler Colloquia on the Science of Science Communication.

At UW, Scheufele has served on most of the university's main governance bodies, including the University Committee (Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate), the Social Sciences Divisional Committee, the University Committee for Honorary Degrees (which he currently chairs), the Provost Search & Screen Committee (twice), the Campus Diversity and Climate Committee, and the UW-Madison Athletic Board.