Swanberg named 2018 AJHA Rising Scholar

Assistant Professor Susan E. Swanberg will receive the 2018 Rising Scholar Award from the American Journalism Historians Association next month in Salt Lake City.

The editors of American Journalism, the peer-reviewed quarterly journal for AJHA, formally announced the honor Sept. 5, in recognition of Swanberg's ongoing research titled, “Spinning Science: Journalism’s Role at the Interface of Science and Public Policy During the Birth of the Atomic Age.”

"I'm honored and thrilled to be the recipient of an AJHA Rising Scholar Award,” said Swanberg, who will receive the award at the AJHA convention Oct. 4-6. “With this award I'll be able to visit archives crucial to my research on journalism’s role at the interface of science and public policy during the birth of the atomic age. I look forward to sharing the untold history of science journalism in the early years of the Atomic Era."

Swanberg’s research will examine not only the impact of journalism on science policy in the mid-20th century, but also the lasting effect of the work of key scientific journalists on today’s scientific landscape.

Dr. Vanessa Murphree, associate editor of American Journalism and professor at The University of Southern Mississippi, said this trajectory distinguished Swanberg’s research from the field of Rising Scholar Award candidates.

“Dr. Swanberg has developed an important and timely research agenda that examines the knowledge gap between scientists and the public,” Murphree said. “She further examines how this lack of information influences expertise influences policy development in important areas such as energy, climate, public health, space exploration and other important scientific matters.”

The Rising Scholar Award winner is chosen annually by the editors of American Journalism. The award is designed for scholars who show promise in extending their research agendas.

Founded in 1981, the American Journalism Historians Association seeks to advance education and research in mass communication history. Members work to raise historical standards and ensure that all scholars and students recognize the vast importance of media history and apply this knowledge to the advancement of society. For more information on AJHA, visit www.ajhaonline.org.

Swanberg was a 2017-18 Udall Center Fellow. Read more about her research here.