Dr. Muhammad Ittefaq

Dr. Muhammad Ittefaq is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Studies at James Madison University. Dr. Ittefaq is a Senior Research Scientist in the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University. His research focuses on the politicization and polarization of science in the age of AI. He is based at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE). He received his Ph.D. from The University of Kansas in 2022 (M.S., Ilmenau University of Technology, Germany, 2018; MSc., University of the Punjab, Pakistan, 2015).

Dr. Ittefaq’s research examines into the ways in which people consume and interact with information through mainstream and social media, including how they interpret scientific messages, make decisions related to health and climate, and support policies related to science. He investigates how different segments of society are influenced by the information ecosystem and messages surrounding scientific issues, while also examining how organizations use various persuasive techniques on social media to engage with global science-related topics. In addition, he explores the role of news media in bridging the gap between various stakeholders in public policy, including journalists, scientists, the public, civil society, and medical professionals. Through his research, he seeks to provide theoretical and translational insights that can help inform effective communication strategies for promoting public understanding of science and supporting evidence-based decision-making.

With a publication record of more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, 9 peer-reviewed commentary articles, and 4 book chapters, his work spans a diverse range of topics at the intersection of news media, science communication, health communication, and environmental communication. His publications have appeared in prestigious academic journals, including International Journal of Communication, Journal of Science Communication, Journal of Health Communication, Health Communication, Environmental Communication, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, Journalism Studies, Journalism Practice, Vaccine, Vaccines, Digital Health, Health, Risk & Society, Psychology & Health, Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, Local Environment, Third World Quarterly, Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, Telematics and Informatics, and Death Studies, among others.

Currently, he is an assistant professor in the School of Communication Studies at James Madison University (JMU) and teaches courses in the public relations, health communication, and environmental communication concentrations involving human communication, public relations writing, research methods, and communication theories.

Education

The University of Kansas (United States)

2022- Ph.D. in Journalism and Mass Communications

Technical University of Ilmenau (Germany)

2018- M.S. in Media and Communication Science

University of the Punjab (Pakistan)

2015- M.Sc. in Communication Studies

Honors and Awards

Ittefaq has been honored with several research awards for his scholarly achievements. These distinguished accolades encompass:

• 2025: Provost Award: Excellence in Research and Scholarship
• 2022: Mugur V. and Anca Geana Research Award from William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications
• 2021: Carolyn Stroman Award from AEJMC’s Minorities & Communication Division.
• 2021: AEJMC’s ComSHER Graduate Student Comp Conference Registration Award 2021.
• 2020-2021: KU William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications Most Productive Researcher Award.
• 2020-2021: KU William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications Robert P. Sigman Family Scholarship.
• 2019-2020: KU William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications Scholarship Award.
• 2018: Society of Professional Journalists Dori Maynard Diversity Fellowship, Funded by Sigma Delta Chi Foundation.
• 2018: Exchange Program for Regional Integration in East Asia and Europe (EPRIE) in Poland, Belgium, & Germany, Funded by Robert Bosch Stiftung and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
• 2017-2018: Deutschlandstipendium (Germany Scholarship) holder for MS Media and Communication Science, Technical University Ilmenau, Germany.
• 2014: Summer School Exchange Program, Funded by DAAD, Erfurt University Germany.