David Berube
Professor
Department of Communication
James B Hunt Jr Centennial Cam 5143
Bio
David Berube teaches courses in the communication of science and technology, risk communication, environmental communication, risk communication, disaster communication, climate change communication, and pandemic communication. He directs the Public Communication of Science and Technology Project from the 5th floor of the new Hunt Library on the Centennial Campus at NCSU, is a fellow in the Genetic Engineering and Society Center, and works with the College of Natural Resources as an Associate Core Faculty member.
Berube coached intercollegiate debating for 20 years and won three national championships, and was national coach of the year in 1994. He wrote NON-POLICY DEBATING in 1994, authored dozens of articles and chapters in applied debating, and consulted with the English Speaking Union (UK). He was a journalist for both Gannett and Knight-Ridder and has over 100 articles in print. He is an equity actor, a member of both the Author’s League of America and the Dramatists Guild, and is represented by Artists and Artisans.
After promotion to full professor, Berube focused on science communication and has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator for over $20 million in federal National Science Foundation grants to study risk communication and emerging technologies. In 2006, he published NANO-HYPE: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE NANOTECHNOLOGY BUZZ (Prometheus Press). He blogged on nanoscience for three years at http://nanohype.blogspot.com and has resumed. He speaks at national and international conferences on communication issues and public perception and understanding of nanoscience, emerging technologies, risk events, and toxicology. He has published over twenty articles and chapters on risk perception and the public sphere. In 2021, he edited a book on PANDEMIC COMMUNICATION AND RESILIENCE for Springer/NATURE, and in 2022-2023 sole-authored PANDEMIC RISK MANAGEMENT: LESSONS LEARNED FRO THE ZIKA VIRUS for Springer/NATURE.
Berube served on several steering committees for the International Council on Nanotechnology. He was the national chair of the Risk Communication Division of the Society for Risk Analysis. He worked with Ketchum Communications, The Gerson-Lehrman Group, the Food Products Association/Grocery Manufacturers Association, Kraft Foods International, etc.
Berube served on the RCAC (risk communication advisory committee) for the US FDA and is serving on the Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC) for the National Toxicology Program (NTP) of the NIESH/NIH.
Berube manages and owns the Center for Emerging Technologies, a LLC registered in North Carolina. It functions as a consultancy and recently completed a major contract to develop a social media presence with a multinational food corporation. CET consults with trade associations and industry emphasizing social media protocols.
Berube arrived on campus in January 2008. At NCSU he started PCOST Project. He works with a team of scientists and engineers to develop a STEM-presence on campus that includes social sciences. He completed a multi-year grant themed on how the public intuits toxicology which will involve workshops, surveys and focus groups, and graduate assistant support. He hires students from his grant related budgets to work with him primarily in data analysis. His students publish with him regularly. He is currently working on multiple NSF funded projects and coordinates the assessment, communication and outreach for a set of labs at Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University.
Projects
RECENT PROJECTS
He is collecting data on nanoscience and agriculture, Wikipedia and its impact on STEM, and is working on multiple articles and chapters on Expert Communication, Five E’s of Science Communication, Nanoscience and Agriculture, and has begun work on wedge issues, wickedness, and convergence.
Berube has multiple articles and chapters in press and under review. He is working on two edited books NANTECHNOLOGY AFTER 25 YEARS and RESILIENCY AND THE COVID PANDEMIC: VACCINE AVOIDANCE AND HESITANCY and multiple articles from data generated under his many grants.
Extension and Community Engagement
In terms of professional service and outreach, Berube is a Special Governmental Employee. He serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board on the National Toxicology Program for the National Institute on Environmental Health and Safety and the National Institutes of Health.
Office Hours
- M 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- W 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Website
Research Publications
SELECTED RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS
“A Story about Toilet Paper: Pandemic Panic-Buying and Public Resilience.” In. Pandemic Communication: Systemic Decision Making. Ed., D. Berube. Springer Nature: Switzerland AG. (2021). (In press).
“Social science and infrastructure networks and the human-technology interface” With E. Bogomoletc, N. Eng, J. Jones, & N. Jokerst, Journal of Nanoparticle Research. 22, 296 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-020-05022
In 2021-2022, he has completed editing a book for Springer/NATURE on Pandemic Communication and resilience and is writing a second on Lessons We Should Have Learned from Zika, also with Springer/NATURE.
SOME PUBLICATIONS SINCE ARRIVING AT NCSU
“Mosquitoes bite: A Zika story of vector management and gene drives.” In Synthetic Biology: The Risk Assessment, Governance and Communication Landscape. Springer. (In press).
“Nanomedicine and Personalized Care: Fact or Fiction.” With E. Winderman. The Road from Nanomedicine to Precision Medicine. S. Mousa, R. Bawa, and G. Audette. (Editors): Pan Stanford Publishing, Singapore. (In press).
“New Approaches Needed for Risk Governance for Emerging Technologies.” With 24 co-authors, lead: Linkov, I. Environment Systems and Decisions. 2018. 38:2. 170-176. June.
“How social science should complement scientific discovery: Lessons from nanoscience.” Journal of Nanoparticle Research. 2018. 20:120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-018-4210-x.
“Recommendations for the Implementation of Telehealth in Cardiovascular and Stroke Care.” With 14 co-authors, lead: Tiner, A. Circulation. 2017. e1-e21. ISSN: 0009-7322. Online ISSN: i524-4539.
“The Audience is the Message: Nanomedicine as Apotheosis or Damnatio Memoria. Handbook of Clinical Nanomedicine: From Bench to Bedside, R. Bawa, G.Audette and l. Rubinstein. (Editors): Pan Stanford Publishing, Singapore (2015), 1000+ pages. [Hardcover ISBN: 9789814316170; eB00k ISBN: 9789814411660]. 2016. 1 1 17-1 140.
“Nanoscience and water: Public engagement at and below the surface.” In A. Street, R. Sustich, J. Duncan, & N. Savage, (Eds.), Nanotechnology Applications for Clean Water: Solutions for Improving Water Quality. 2nd Ed. NY: William Andrew Publishing, 2014, pp. 583-594.
“Other Public Communities. Stakeholder Perspectives on Perception, assessment, and Management of the Potential Risks of Nanotechnology.” Report of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Workshop September 10—1 1 , 2013. (Meeting held in 2013 but finally in print) DC: National Science and Technology Council. 2016. 4244.
“Public Participation and Innovation Ecosystems for Convergence.” In Convergence of Knowledge, Technology and Society: Beyond Convergence of Nano-Bio-lnfoCognitive Technologies. M. Roco, W. Bainbridge, B. Tonn, & G. Whiteside. (Editors): NY: Springer. 2015. ISBN: 3319022032; 465- 470.
“Constructing Texts in Fringe Science: Challenges in Propaedeutics.” Public Participation and Innovation Ecosystems for Convergence.” In POROI: Inventing the Future: The Rhetorics of Science, Technology, and Medicine. 9(1). 2013. Online http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/v019/iss1/16/. Accessed May 22, 2013.
“Influences of Individual-Level Characteristics on Risk Perceptions to Various Categories of Environmental Health and Safety Risks.” With C. Cummings and M. Lavelle. Journal of Risk Research. 2013. http://dx.doi.ora/l O. 1080/13669877.2013.788544.
“Unexpected Appropriations of Technology and Life Cycle Analysis: Reframing Cradleto-Grave Approaches.” Cummings, C. , Frith, J. and Berube D.M. In Emerging Technologies: Socio-Behavioral Life Cycle Approaches. Singapore: Pan Stanford Publishing. 2013. 251-271.
“Socialis Commodis and Life Cycle Analysis: A Critical Examination of Uncertainty.” In Emerging Technologies: Socio-Behavioral Life Cycle Approaches. Singapore: Pan Stanford Publishing. 2013. 139-163.
“Public Participation in Nanotechnology Debate in the United States”. Nanotechnology Research Directions for Societal Needs in 2020: Retrospective and Outlook. M. Roco, C. Mirkin and M. Hersam (Editors). Springer. 2011. 469-470.
“Decision Ethics and Emerging Technologies.” European Journal of Law and Technology. 2011, 2(3). 1-8.
“Rhetoric and Risk” with R. Schwartzman & D.G. Ross., Poroi, 2011, 7(1): article 9. http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/v017/iss1/9.
“Comparing Nanoparticle Risk Perceptions to Other Known EHS Risks,” with C. Cummings (student), Frith, J. (student), Binder A. & Oldendick, R., Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 2011., Early online. 7 March 201 1. DOI 10.1007/s1 1051-01 1-0325-z.
“Characteristics and Classification of Nanoparticles: Expert Delphi survey,” with Cummings, C., Cacciatore, M. , Scheufele, D., & Kalin, J., Nanotoxicology, 2011, 5(2), 236-242. DOI:10.3109/17435390.2010.521633.
“Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies – Consumer Product Inventory Evaluated,” with Searson, E., Morton, T., Cummings, C., Nanotechnology Law and Business, 2010, 7(2): 152-163.
“Communicating Risk in the 21 st Century: The Case of Nanotechnology,” with Faber, B. , Scheufele, D., Cummings, C. Gardner, G., Martin, K., Martin, M., & Temple, N.,2010, National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, Arlington, VA.
“Nanoscience and Water: Public Engagement at and Below the Surface,” in Savage, N., Diallo, M. , Duncan, J., Street, A. & Sustich, R., eds., Nanotechnology Applications for Clean Water, NY: William Andrew Publishing, 2009, 521-533.
“Rhetorical Gamesmanship in the Nano Debates Over Sunscreens and Nanoparticles,” Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 2008, 10.•23-37. DOI 10.1007/s1 1051-0089362-7 & “Reply from David Berube,” Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 2008, 10:265-266. DOI: 10.1007/s11051-008-9443-7.
“A Nanotale of Opportunities, Uncertainties and Risks,” with Borm, P., Nano Today, 3:12, Feb-Apr, 2008, 56-59.
“Intuitive Toxicology: The Public Perception of Nanoscience,” in Alhoff, F. & Lin, P. , eds., Nanoethics: Emerging Debates, London: Springer, 2008, 91-108.
“Stakeholder Participation in Nanotechnology Policy Debates,” in Bennett, D. ed., Nanotechnology: Ethics and Society, London: CRC Press (Taylor & Francis), 2008, 225-229.
“Public Acceptance of Nanomedicine: A Personal Perspective,” in J. Baker, ed., Nanomedicine, NY: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews, 2008, 2-5.
Funded Research
Since arriving at NCSU, Berube has completed work on a NSF NIRT (a major 1.4M grant) as a PI with subawards to three other universities
Berube is continuing work on a NSF NNCI grant ($5.5 m over 5 years) as a CoPI, member of the Executive Committee, and Director of Societal and Educational Implications of Nanotechnology for the Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network (Duke, UNC & NCSU) . He is also CoPI on a REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) with Duke, UNC and NCSU.
Berube has multiple NSF grants in the submission process:.
Presentations
RECENT PRESENTATIONS
He recently presented on Zoom Fatigue with Ekaterina Bogomoletc. Online SRA Meeting. December 14, 2020 and a Webinar: SEIN 20 Year Later.” NNCI, July 21, 2021.
PRESENTATIONS SINCE ARRIVING AT NCSU
“Reframing Nanotechnology. “Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization meeting. Orlando, FL, December 9, 2016.
“Emerging Energy Technologies and Public Engagement.” Invited Presidential Address. Aloha Tower, Honolulu, HI. April 18, 2016.
“New Societal Implications to Synthetic Biology.” SRA Meeting, Arlington, VA. December 8, 2015. “Societal implications of Synthetic Biology.” SynBioBeta meeting in San Francisco, CA November 5, 2015.
“Public Understanding of Synthetic Biology.” SRA World Summit in Singapore. July 19, 2015.
“Societal Aspects of Synthetic Biology.” Research Agendas in the Societal Aspects of Synthetic Biology, Tucson, Arizona workshop. May 20, 2015.
“Public Understanding of Toxicology.” Annual Meeting on the non-profit group, The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). RTP. February 5, 2015.
“Inevitability as an Argumentative Device in Debates over Fringe Technologies,” NCA (National Communication Association), Washington, DC November 24, 2013.
“Greenwashing; a Tale of Precaution” SNO (Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization), UC Santa Barbara, CA. November 4, 2013.
“Preliminary Analysis and Comparisons of Experts and Public Understanding of Risks and Benefits of Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials, S.Net (Society for the Study of Nanoscience and Emerging Technologies, Boston, MA., October 28, 2013.
“Public Communities,” NNI Stakeholder Perspectives on the Perception, Assessment, and Management of the Potential Risks of nanotechnology, NNCO, Washington, DC, September 1 1, 2013.
“Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications,” NNI Strategic Planning Stakeholder Workshop. NNCO , Washington, DC, June 12, 2013.
“Messaging for STEM Workforce: STEM Recruitment and Retention Messaging,” US White House OSTP and IDA STPI (Science and Technology Policy Institute, Washington, DC, July 31, 2013.
“Negative Labeling.” Society of Risk Analysis Conference, San Francisco, CA, December 3, 2012. “Digital Amplification of Risk.” Society of Risk Analysis Conference, Charleston, SC on December 2, 2011.
“Digital Risk Attenuation.” 4S Conference, Cleveland, OH on November 5, 201 1.
“Risk Attenuation: Law of the Grass Mud Horses.” Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media program’s research symposium at NCSU, Raleigh, NC on April 15 & 16, 201 1 .
“The Social Science of Science: Food and Public Communication” International Food Information Council Round Table on Risk Communication on April 7, 2011.
“Crisis in Risk Communication: Marketing Green Nanotechnology” American Chemical Council’s Fall Meeting, Anaheim, CA. March 27, 2011.
“Participatory Governance of Nanotechnology” at the NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Grantees Conference, December 8, 2010.
“Risk Analysis and Management: Nanoscience” at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, December 7, 2010.
“Ethics of Emerging Technologies” at the National Communication Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, November 13, 2010.
“French Protests Over Nanotechnology: Public Engagement and Lessons Learned” at the Society for the Social Studies of Science Annual Meeting, Tokyo, JP, August 25-29, 2010.
“Nanotoxicology and Public Perception” at the International Conference on the Environmental Implications on Nanotechnology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, May 1 1-13, 201 0.
“Public Perceptions: Interest, Attention… ” at the NC State Nanotechnology Integration Forum, Raleigh, NC, March 23, 2010.
“Public Perceptions: Interest, Attention…” at the NAN02 Workshop, Evanston, IL, March 10, 2010.
“Public Perceptions” at the National Science Foundation Awardees Meeting, Arlington, VA, December 9, 2009.
“COPE-ing with the Public” at the National Communication Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, November 1 1-15, 2009.
“Public Understanding of Food Technologies” at the Calorie Control Council Annual Meeting, Jacksonville, FL, November 7-10, 2009.
“Public Perception and Nanotechnology” at the Society for Social Studies of Science Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, October 31, 2009.
“Environmental Health and Safety: Communicating About Nanoscience Risks and Benefits” at the Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative Meeting, RTP, NC, October 8-9, 2009.
“Public Understanding of Science and Technology: Strategic Uncertainty” at Center for Workplace Development Graduate Student Nano-Ethics Program, University of Washington, September 9, 2009.
“The Social Science of Science: An Introduction with Three Suggestions and Three Recommendations” at the International Food Information Council Meeting, Northbrook, IL, June 24, 2009.
“Emerging Technologies: Trust and Risk” at CCI Interdisciplinary Panel, UNCGreensboro, Greensboro, NC, March 19, 2009.
“Public Understanding of Emerging Science and Technology: Four Observations” at Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, March 17, 2009.
“Public Understanding of Emerging Science and Technology: Eight Rules and Three Keys from the NanoExperience” at ILSINA 2009, Tucson, AZ, January 21, 2009.
“Communicating Risk to the Media and Public — White Paper Experience” at Society for Risk Analysis Conference, Boston, MA, December 10, 2008.
“Communicating Risk to the Public — Seven Guides to Communicating Risk” (via Skype) at NanoMex 08, Mexico City, Mexico, November 5, 2008.
“Intro to Nanotechnology: Nanoscience and its Implications” at ENCORE, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, October 10, 2008.
“Communicating Risk to the Public — Seven Guides to Communicating Risk” at NanoRisk 2008, Paris, France, October 21, 2008.
“Breaking the Carbon Barrier: Religion and Risk Regimes” at EC-US Task Force on Biotechnology Research, Ispra, Italy, June 3, 2008.
“Societal Implications of Nanobiotechnology” at EC-US Task Force on Biotechnology, Milan, Italy, June 2, 2008.
Education
B.A. Experimental and Cognitive Psychology/Biology Seton Hall University 1975
M.A. Speech and Theatre - Concentration: Speech - Speech Montclair State College 1978
Ph.D. Concentration: Communication, Media and Culture New York University 1990
Area(s) of Expertise
Argumentation, Persuasion models, Quantitative research methods, and Applied communication involving environmental disasters especially pandemics, extreme weather, and climate change.
Grants
The RTNN is a consortium of three North Carolina (NC) institutions and is proposed as a site in the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) network. NC State, Duke, and UNC-Chapel Hill are all located in close geographical proximity within North Carolina??????????????????s Research Triangle. The RTNN currently offers fabrication and characterization services and education to a diverse range of users from colleges, universities, industry, non-profits, and individuals. The RTNN will bring specialized technical expertise and facilities to the National NNCI in areas that include wide bandgap semiconductors, soft materials (animal, vegetative, textile, polymer), functional nanomaterials, in situ nanomaterials characterization and environmental impact, nanofluidics, heterogeneous integration, photovoltaics, and positron annihilation spectroscopy. The RTNN strengthens the National NNCI in the areas of social and ethical implications of nanotechnology, environmental impacts of nanotechnology, and education/workforce development through interaction with industry and community colleges in the Research Triangle. All facilities engaged in this consortium have established track records of facilitating industrial research and technology transfer, strengths that further leverage the proposed site within the Research Triangle.
The RTNN is a consortium of three North Carolina (NC) institutions and is a site in the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) network. NC State, Duke, and UNC-Chapel Hill are all located in close geographical proximity within North Carolina??????????????????s Research Triangle. The RTNN currently offers fabrication and characterization services and education to a diverse range of users from colleges, universities, industry, non-profits, and individuals. The RTNN brings specialized technical expertise and facilities to the National NNCI in areas that include wide bandgap semiconductors, soft materials (animal, vegetative, textile, polymer), functional nanomaterials, in situ nanomaterials characterization and environmental impact, nanofluidics, heterogeneous integration, photovoltaics, and positron annihilation spectroscopy. The RTNN strengthens the National NNCI in the areas of social and ethical implications of nanotechnology, environmental impacts of nanotechnology, and education/workforce development through interaction with industry and community colleges in the Research Triangle. All facilities engaged in this consortium have established track records of facilitating industrial research and technology transfer, strengths that further leverage the proposed site within the Research Triangle.
It is well documented that inexpert audiences reason and react differently than experts when exposed to information about toxicological risks, but almost none of the existing studies have examined how the public and experts react differently to risks associated specifically with the applied nanosciences. To address this weakness, we propose to reveal which factors are most significant in affecting public perception of the risks of applied nanosciences and what relationship exists between the modes of public deliberation, sources of information (e.g. use of new media), and the effects of new information on risk perception. In terms of intellectual merit, we will produce an especially timely heuristic for the projection of public responses to applied nanosciences, given issues of toxicity, roles of new media, and applies its theoretical findings to a case instant examining public perception to nanotoxicity issues and agri-food. In terms of broader impact, the results will reveal specific variables and combinations of variables that affect public perceptions of the risks of applied nanosciences, equipping policymakers, researchers, indusry, and public participants with a greater capacity for productive public engagements and discussions about how to respond to those risks. This work will impact public awareness and provide us with the essential guidance to better enable future communication on the risks of nanotechnology and models for effective civic engagement. This project examines the educational, economic, social, organization, and ethical changes associated with support for, design of, and results from inventions and innovations involving active nanostructures and nanosystems.