LSC professor Dietram Scheufele selected as Taylor-Bascom Chair

Congratulations to LSC professor Dietram Scheufele, who was selected as the inaugural recipient of the UW Foundation’s Taylor-Bascom Chair. The new chaired professorship provides crucial support for Scheufele’s teaching and scholarly activities and is a continued recognition of the global impact that his work has had. “This is a tremendous honor,” said Scheufele. “This kind of support is crucial in maintaining LSC’s leadership role in the rapidly growing field of science communication.”

Professor Scheufele teaching in his undergraduate course LSC 251 Science, Media and Society. Spring 2019.

Scheufele’s work has revolutionized the field of science communication, but he also works to transform the way students learn in the classroom. His courses in LSC helps students understand how we all make sense of increasingly complex scientific breakthroughs that we often know little about. How can corporations, universities, and non-profits better work with consumers and citizens to ensure that we use science to society’s benefit? And how does all of that change as the way we communicate with one another changes in front of our eyes?

As a result, Scheufele’s current research focuses particularly on the role that social media and other emerging modes of online communication play in (re)shaping democratic societies. Scheufele is a co-principal investigator in the Science, Media and the Public (SCIMEP) research group in LSC along with Dominique Brossard and Michael Xenos.

“Because of his tremendous commitment to student’s learning and research, Dietram has earned a staggering amount of respect from his students and colleagues,” said Dominique Brossard, LSC professor and chair. “We are truly grateful to have him with us in LSC.”