Dominique Brossard, professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communications, started serving as department chair in 2013 – and will be stepping down this summer after 12 years of dedicated service. Her program focuses on the communication dynamics around new technologies, including controversial ones such as GMOs, with a focus on understanding risk perceptions and public opinion in these contexts. 

In this Q&A, Brossard shares some of her experiences and thoughts from being chair. This article is part of an ongoing series designed to shed light on the opportunities, challenges and satisfactions of serving in this leadership role.

Describe an experience that helped prepare you for being department chair.

My professional background in management consulting (I spent five years with Accenture) helped me immensely when I was new to the role since it gave me a solid preparation in management in general and leadership in particular. Academically, I have an interdisciplinary background. I am an agronomical engineer, specializing in plant biotechnology, who also got a PhD in communication sciences focusing on understanding attitudes toward GM crops. I believe my interdisciplinary training was invaluable in helping me to quickly connect with all the other departments in CALS and, right away, have an appreciation for the necessity to work together if we want to ensure the college’s well-being and future.

What has surprised you the most since becoming chair?

The creativity and enthusiasm of the many CALS colleagues and staff that I met since becoming chair was infectious and inspiring. If I had not been chair, I would not have worked closely with so many individuals who put the best of themselves in their work – particularly the staff. I also really appreciate the commitment to shared governance in my department. Colleagues spend countless hours serving on committees, elevating each other’s work, and ensuring the success of our outstanding students.

What are the biggest opportunities you see for UW-Madison in your area?

Science communication as an academic discipline has been growing exponentially over the last two decades, with LSC clearly being one of the world leaders in research, teaching, and outreach in that area. In fact, many of our faculty helped shape the emergence of the discipline at organizations like the NSF or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. With our cutting-edge programs, our alumni (undergraduates and graduates) are extremely well-positioned in the job market and find top jobs in policy, industry, and academia alike. UW-Madison needs to capitalize on these developments to maintain our leadership status.

What are you doing to take advantage of these opportunities?

We have recently created an undergraduate certificate in science communication that currently enrolls 274 undergraduates. Since I started my chairship, we revamped our Bachelor of Science and our Masters in Science Communication to make sure they respond to market demand, created a graduate certificate and a PhD minor in science communication, and launched the first PhD in science communication in the nation.

What are the biggest challenges facing UW-Madison in your area?

Our faculty and staff expertise are in high demand but our small numbers make it hard to answer all the demand that comes our way for research, teaching and outreach. That’s why growing our faculty numbers has been a top priority for me.

What is the most satisfying thing you have been able to accomplish as chair so far? 

I am proud to have been able to recruit and help mentor the exceptional group of young scholars and teachers who recently got tenure or are now going through the process and/or become experienced teaching faculty in LSC. It is also gratifying to observe that we have collectively created a unit that is well-organized and well-positioned to continue doing its important work once I step down as chair.

What are your plans after your time as chair and how do you think your time serving as chair will impact the next stage of your career?

As a Principal Investigator at the Morgridge Institute for Research, I look forward to focusing on research with SciLab. I am also excited about being more involved in campus-level service, informed by my time as chair. Additionally, I was recently appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Division of Behavioral & Social Sciences & Education at the National Academy of Sciences (among other national-level service positions that I will continue to serve in).

What is something about your department that you wish more people knew?

Here’s a fun fact: LSC was the nation’s first department of agricultural journalism (established 108 years ago as the Department of Agricultural Journalism), and now we are the first to launch a PhD program in science communication.