The American Association for the Advancement of Science awarded Annenberg Public Policy Center Director and communications professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson the William D. Carey Lectureship Award.
The award, which is named after former AAAS Executive Officer William Carey, honors individuals who exhibit leadership in the articulation of science policy issues. Jamieson was honored with $5,000, an engraved medallion, and the opportunity to lecture at the annual AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy.
The 2025 forum took place on Oct. 23 in Washington, D.C. and attracted a diverse body of attendees. Jamieson presented a lecture titled “Preempting Public Misconceptions About Science" during which she urged scientists to prevent the spreading of misinformation by using a “mental model” approach to incorporate visual, verbal, or animated models in the public communication of scientific and medical information.
Jamieson cited charts and images used on FactCheck.org, a nonprofit website created by APPC to reduce deception and false information in U.S. politics.
In an interview with the Penn Almanac, Jamieson explained the goals and benefits of the mental model approach.
“[The] mental model approach can blunt misconceptions by modeling strength of evidence, modeling how the integrity of scientific knowledge is tested and protected, and modeling what science knows,” Jamieson told the Almanac.
Jamieson also called on the science community to take an active rather than reactive role in forestalling the formation of misinformation to maintain public confidence in science. One of the graphics she shared explained the strength of different types of scientific evidence and “why some medical studies are better than others.”
Jamieson’s research on the topic of science policy will be reported in the book “Safeguarding Science,” which Natalie Jomini Stroud, International Communication Association and the Annenberg Public Policy Center fellow, co-authored.
Beyond her work in science communication, Jamieson investigates the role of rhetoric in political communication and polarization using surveys and experimental methods. Throughout her career, Jamieson has authored 18 books. In 2023, Jamieson was elected to the Board of Directors of AAAS in recognition of her academic contributions.
