Faculty and Postdocs

Dominique Brossard
Professor & Department Chair, Department of Life Sciences Communication
608.263.3973
e-mail

Dominique Brossard is professor and chair in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an affiliate of the  UW-Madison Robert & Jean Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies, the UW-Madison Center for Global Studies, and the Morgridge Institute for Research. Her teaching responsibilities include courses in strategic communication theory and research, with a focus on science and risk communication. A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Brossard is an internationally known expert in public opinion dynamics related to controversial scientific issues. She is particularly interested in understanding the role of values in shaping public attitudes and using cross-cultural analysis to understand these processes. She has published numerous research articles in outlets such as ScienceScience Communication, the International Journal of Public OpinionPublic Understanding of Science, and Communication Research and has worked on reports for the National Academy of Sciences Engineering and Medicine on various occasions, one of the most recent ones on GE crops.

Mikhalia Calice
Postdoctoral Research Associate
608.262.1464
e-mail

Mikhaila N. Calice is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Life Sciences Communication, where she recently received her PhD. Mikhaila conducts mixed-methods community-engaged research that examines communication dynamics and public perceptions of risks related to science and technology issues like climate change, the energy transition, and artificial intelligence, among others. She also explores how engagement with various publics or communities by scientists and others shapes perceptions and policy. A focus of her postdoctoral research includes a multi-institutional and interdisciplinary project funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) that explores community-engaged approaches for local energy futures related to controversial energy issues. Mikhaila holds an MPA with a certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy from the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BA in Political Science and International Studies from Randolph-Macon College. Her academic work has been published in Public Understanding of Science, New Media & SocietyEnvironmental Communication, and Computers in Human Behavior, among other outlets.

Nan Li
Assistant Professor, Department of Life Sciences Communication
608.262.7791
e-mail

Nan Li is an assistant professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her teaching responsibilities include courses in visual communication and risk communication. Li’s research focuses on the dynamics of the science-society-policy interface. Centering around socio-scientific issues related to food, energy, and climate, her studies examine the evolving nature of media discourse and public opinion. She also studies the policymakers’ perceptions of scientific evidence in such contexts. Built on these efforts, her most recent projects investigate how to enrich the interaction between scientists and nonexpert stakeholders through harnessing the power of visual, interactive, and data-driven narratives.

Todd P. Newman
Assistant Professor, Department of Life Sciences Communication
608.262.1464
e-mail

Todd P. Newman is an assistant professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His teaching responsibilities include courses in strategic communication and marketing communication. Newman’s research focuses on the intersection between science and society. Specifically, he is interested in the role of the media in shaping public perceptions of science, as well as the public engagement activities of scientists. This includes recent work developing innovative methods for evaluating science communication training programs. Newman received his Ph.D. in Communication at American University and previously served as a postdoctoral research associate at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University.

Dietram A. Scheufele
John E. Ross Chaired Professor, Department of Life Sciences Communication
608.262.1614
e-mail

Dietram A. Scheufele is the John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in the Morgridge Institute for Research. Since 2013, he’s also held an Honorary Professorship at the Dresden University of Technology in Germany. Scheufele’s research deals with the public and political interfaces of emerging science. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters, and a member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering. He currently serves on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Board on Health Sciences Policy and the Division on Earth and Life Studies (DELS) Advisory Committee. In the past, Scheufele has been a tenured faculty member at Cornell University, a Shorenstein fellow at Harvard University, and a Visiting Scholar at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. His consulting experience includes work for the Public Broadcasting System, the World Health Organization, and the World Bank.

Michael A. Xenos
Professor, Department of Life Sciences Communication
608.262.1872
e-mail

Michael Xenos conducts research and teaches courses on the effects of digital media on political engagement and public deliberation. His primary focus is on the extent to which the internet and social media may help individuals learn about political issues, form opinions, and participate in politics. He is also interested in the ways that political candidates, journalists, and other political actors adapt to changes in information and communication technologies, and how these adaptations affect broader dynamics of political communication and public deliberation.