Life Sciences Communication Professor and Taylor Bascom Chair Dietram Scheufule has been named the American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) Harold Lasswell fellow. Schuefele is one of eight fellows chosen for the 2024 academic year.
Scheufele was recognized for his work analyzing the interplay between political communication and democratic decision making, as well as his ongoing research into the societal impacts of algorithmically-curated information and disinformation.
“At this pivotal moment in our nation’s democracy, we must look to social science thought leaders,” Marta Tienda, AAPSS President, said. “It is a privilege to welcome another highly accomplished cohort of social scientists as fellows of the AAPSS.”
Scheufele is one of the leading voices globally, both in scholarly and policy communities, examining the social effects of emerging science and technology and developing effective strategies for communicating and engaging different audiences, particularly marginalized ones), with science. Alongside his role as a professor and Taylor-Bascom Science Communication Chair at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Scheufele is an investigator with the Morgridge Institute for Research and a Distinguished Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center.
“A recognition like this always reflects the work of many different people,” Scheufele said. “I am both humbled and immensely grateful to the countless colleagues and collaborators in LSC and beyond who have contributed to this.”
Each year, the AAPSS selects a small group of scholars and public servants to recognize their contributions to social science and the public understanding of social dynamics and human behavior. The aim of the academy is to promote the use of social science in the public domain and in policymaking.
Of the 159 fellows of the academy, three other UW-Madison professors and faculty have received fellowship, including former Chancellor Rebecca Blank.