CELLS Winter Speaker Series: The Scientist in the Public Imaginary, Leah Ceccarelli (Online)

Abstract: How are scientists characterized in contemporary public discourse? This talk examines how the persona of the scientist is imagined in cinematic narratives, presidential speeches, activist arguments, and judicial decisions. The stories we tell about the proper role of science in society point to a contested identity for the modern scientist. An understanding of the rhetorical possibilities currently available for constructing the ethos of the scientist in the public sphere can help us in the future to select those representations that are most likely to benefit society and reject those representations that are most likely to do harm. Bio: Leah Ceccarelli is a Full Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, where she also directs an interdisciplinary Science, Technology, and Society Studies Graduate Certificate Program.