Profile

Matthew Nisbet

Associate Professor
School of Communication


  • Matthew Nisbet is Associate Professor of Communication and Co-Director of the Center for Social Media. His research investigates the role of communication in policymaking and public affairs, focusing on debates over science, sustainability, and public health. He is the author of more than 70 peer-reviewed studies, book chapters, and monographs.

    Nisbet has been a Health Policy Investigator at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a Google Science Communication Fellow, and a Shorenstein Fellow in Press, Politics, and Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. In 2011, the editors at the journal Nature recommended Nisbet's research as “essential reading for anyone with a passing interest in the climate change debate,” and the New Republic highlighted his work as a “fascinating dissection of the shortcomings of climate activism.” Since 2002, Nisbet's scholarship has been cited more than 960 times in the peer-reviewed literature and in more than 300 books.

    For information on Matthew Nisbet's background, studies and articles, courses, and talks, see the Climate Shift Project web site.

  • Degrees

    A.B. Dartmouth College (Government); M.S. Cornell University (Communication); Ph.D. Cornell University (Communication)

  • Favorite Spot on Campus:

    AU library's collaborative meeting rooms
  • DOWNLOAD CV (PDF)

  • OFFICE

  • SOC - School of Communication
  • McCabe - 220

  • CONTACT INFO

  • (202) 885-2104 (Office)
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  • FOR THE MEDIA

  • To request an interview for a
    news story, call AU Communications
    at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Teaching

AU Expert

Area of Expertise: Political communication; public opinion research; intersection between media, politics, and science and environmental issues; citizen activism

Additional Information: Matthew C. Nisbet, PhD, is a social scientist who studies strategic communication in policy making and public affairs with a focus on debates over science, the environment, and public health. His research on climate change communication has been funded by the Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where he serves as a health policy investigator.  In an editorial, the journal Nature called Nisbet's research "essential reading for anyone with a passing interest in the climate change debate."  In 2011, Nisbet was named a Google Science Communication Fellow for his work in this area.  In a second line of research, Nisbet focuses on general questions related to political communication, including the role that new and traditional media play in mobilizing citizens; how strategists take advantage of new technologies and a fragmented media system to target opinion leaders and specialized audiences; and how church, work, or other community influences shape media choices and political views. Nisbet is the author or coauthor of more than 35 research articles and book chapters and serves on the editorial boards for the International Journal of Press/Politics and Science Communication. A veteran of more than 100 media interviews, his commentary and analysis has appeared at leading print and broadcast outlets such as the New York Times, National Public Radio, and BBC radio. He holds an MS/PhD in Communication from Cornell University and an AB in Government from Dartmouth College.

Media Relations
To request an interview please call AU Media Relations at 202-885-5950 or submit an interview request form.

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