Bret Shaw

Position title: Professor

Email: brshaw@wisc.edu

Phone: 608.890.1878

Address:
314 Hiram Smith Hall

Bret Shaw is an Environmental Communication Specialist for the Division of Extension and a professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He specializes in planning and evaluating strategic communication campaigns related to natural resource management. He teaches courses on social marketing, environmental communication, and science communication to undergraduate and graduate students, including those in the Ph.D. program in Science Communication.

Shaw’s work addresses issues such as water quality, invasive species prevention and sustainable land management. Shaw also conducts research on promoting local food systems in Wisconsin, with a focus on supporting farmers market managers and small- to mid-sized farmers. His current research explores how to use industry communication and marketing tools to improve the impact of Extension programming related to protecting natural resources and promoting sustainable agriculture practices.

Shaw received his Ph.D. in Mass Communication at UW–Madison, where he gained experience in strategic communication. Before his academic career, he worked as a market research manager in the technology industry in Silicon Valley.

Shaw has published in a diverse range of peer-reviewed journals including Society and Natural ResourcesJournal of Environmental PsychologyScience CommunicationConservation BiologyJournal of Forestry, Environmental ManagementSocial Marketing QuarterlyLake and Reservoir ManagementEnergy PolicyPolitics and the Life SciencesJournal for the Study of ReligionNature & CultureHuman Dimensions of Wildlife, and American Behavioral Scientist, among others.

You can find a list of his publications on Google Scholar.