bridging the chasm between scholarly discourse and public opinion

(Dayton, OH) With the exception of some pure research (which I admire), scholarship deals with matters of public concern and is valuable only if it has public impact. The scholarly consensus on climate change is having no impact on public opinion and is not even recognized as a consensus by the public. Such gaps (and there are many other examples) strongly suggest that there is something wrong with the way we operate in academia. The fault is surely shared by other institutions, such as the news media. But I say: no excuses. We professors have 2,000 institutions and 3% of GDP; we should be able to do something about mistrust, misinformation, or lack of attention.

I am moderating a group of Tufts faculty who are concerned about these problems and eager to address it in different ways. These Tisch College Faculty Fellows are profiled here. The come from Arts & Sciences, Engineering, the Medical School, the Dental school, and Veterinary Medicine. Their work is very diverse but all engage public audiences or partners. I hope we will develop models and proposals that are broadly valuable.

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About Peter

Associate Dean for Research and the Lincoln Filene Professor of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Tufts University's Tisch College of Civic Life. Concerned about civic education, civic engagement, and democratic reform in the United States and elsewhere.