Andrew R. Binder's website

Andrew R. Binder

Assistant Professor

Department of Communication

North Carolina State University

Higher Education

• Ph.D. 2010
  University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Major: Mass Communications
  Minor: Science & Technology Studies
  
• M.S., 2007
  University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Major: Life Sciences Communication
  
• B.A. with Distinction, 2001
  University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Major: French
  Minor: African Studies
  Study abroad (in France): Cours Universitaire d'Eté de Saint-Malo (1998); Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier III (1999-2000)
  

Academic Positions

North Carolina State University

• Assistant Professor, Aug. 2010-present
  Department of Communication
• Associate Director
  Public Communication of Science and Technology
  (PCOST) Project

University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Lead Graduate Assistant, Sep. 2008-Aug. 2010
  "Media, Talk, and Trust: The Social Amplification of Risk During Site-Selection for a Bio-Research Facility"
  Grant funded by the National Science Foundation (Award #SES-0820474)
• Course Assistant, Summer 2009
  LSC 375/875, Communicating Controversial Science
  with Professor Dominique Brossard
  Department of Life Sciences Communication
  
• Course Instructor, Sep. 2008-Dec. 2008
  LSC 100, Introduction to Communication: Inquiry & Exposition
  Department of Life Sciences Communication
• Project Assistant (Webmaster), Jan. 2007-Aug. 2008
  College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, Research Division
• Research Assistant for Professor Xiaoli Nan, July-Dec. 2006
  Department of Life Sciences Communication
• Project Assistant (Media Specialist), Jan.-Dec. 2006
  Division of Information Technology, Engage Program

Honors and Awards

Research Awards

• 2009, First Place Paper Award
  Risk Communication Specialty Group ExxonMobil Student Paper Competition, Society for Risk Analysis
• 2009, Honorable Mention Paper Award
  MAPOR Fellows Student Paper Competition, Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research
• 2008, Honorable Mention
  Graduate Research Fellowship Program, National Science Foundation

Academic Honors

• 2009, Graduate Student Peer Mentor Award
  The Graduate School, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 2007-08, Nellie McCannon Scholar
  Department of Life Sciences Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Research Grants

University of Wisconsin-Madison

• 2008-10, Project Manager
  "Media, Talk, and Trust: The Social Amplification of Risk During Site Selection for a Bio-research Facility"
  National Science Foundation Grant No. SES-0820474, $400,000
• 2008-09, Co-Principal Investigator
  “Scientific Fact Versus Partisan Opinion”
  Greater Milwaukee Foundation/Journal Foundation, $3,390
• 2008-09, Co-PI
  "Communication with Wisconsin Communities about Emerging Research"
  Grant funded by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School, $23,721

Travel Grants

• 2011, Proposal development and research activities travel award
  College of Humanities and Social Sciences
  North Carolina State University
• 2009, Dissertation research travel award
  Holtz Center for Science & Technology Studies
  University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 2007, Conference presentation travel award
  Wisconsin Agriculture & Life Sciences Alumni Association
  University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 2006, Conference presentation travel award
  Wisconsin Agriculture & Life Sciences Alumni Association
  University of Wisconsin-Madison

Publications

Refereed Journal Articles

• Binder, A. R. (in press). Figuring out #Fukushima: An initial look at functions and content of U.S. Twitter commentary about nuclear risk. Environmental Communication.
• Binder, A. R., Cacciatore, M. A., Scheufele, D. A., Shaw, B. R., & Corley, E. A. (in press). Measuring risk/benefit perceptions of emerging technologies and their potential impact on communication of public opinion toward science. Public Understanding of Science. doi: 10.1177/0963662510390159
• Berube, D. M., Cummings, C. L., Frith, J. H., Binder, A. R., & Oldendick, R. (2011). Comparing nanoparticle risk perceptions to other known EHS risks. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 13(8), 3089-3099. doi: 10.1007/s11051-011-0325-z
• Binder, A. R., Scheufele, D. A., Brossard, D., & Gunther, A. C. (2011). Interpersonal amplification of risk? Citizen discussions and their influence on risk and benefit perceptions of a biological research facility. Risk Analysis, 31(2), 324-334. doi: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01516.x
• Ho, S. S., Binder, A. R., Becker, A. B., Moy, P., Scheufele, D. A., Brossard, D., et al. (2011). The role of perceptions of media bias in general and issue-specific participation. Mass Communication and Society, 14(3), 343-374. doi: 10.1080/15205436.2010.491933
• Binder, A. R. (2010). Routes to attention or shortcuts to apathy? Exploring domain-specific communication pathways and their implications for public perceptions of controversial science. Science Communication, 32(3), 383-411. doi: 10.1177/1075547009345471
• Binder, A. R., Dalrymple, K. E., Brossard, D., & Scheufele, D. A. (2009). The soul of a polarized democracy: Testing theoretical linkages between talk and attitude extremity during the 2004 presidential election. Communication Research, 36(3), 315-340. doi: 10.1177/0093650209333023

Conference Papers & Presentations

Refereed

• Binder, A. R., Scheufele, D. A., & Brossard, D. (2011, December). Risk publics: Understanding the unifying ties of personal beliefs vs. community of residence in the site-selection for a biological research facility. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Charleston, SC.
• Binder, A. R., Dahlstrom, M. F., & Brossard, D. (2011, August). Eye to (un)biased eye? Effects of visual and source attributes on the perceived credibility of identical information. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (Communication Theory & Methodology Division), St. Louis, MO.
• Binder, A. R., Scheufele, D. A., & Brossard, D. (2011, August). Not in my backyard... or yours: Communicative influences of opinion leadership on perceptions of risks and benefits of a bioresearch facility. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (Communicating Science, Health, the Environment, and Risk Division), St. Louis, MO.
• Binder, A. R. (2011, April). Figuring out #Fukushima: Interpretive vs. Informative functions of twitter commentary about nuclear technology in the United States. Paper presented at the research symposium on Environments, Risks, and Digital Media, Raleigh, NC.
• Binder, A. R., Scheufele, D. A., Brossard, D., & Gunther, A. C. (2010, May). Bio-terror in our backyard? Conflict, news, and citizens' knowledge and perceptual gaps about a bio-research facility. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association (Political Communication Division), Boston, MA.
• Binder, A. R., Liang, X., Brossard, D., Scheufele, D. A., & Gunther, A. C. (2010, December). Reconsidering risk amplification: Content analysis of thematic emphasis in newspaper coverage of a proposed biological research facility. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Salt Lake City, UT.
• Cacciatore, M. A., Brigham Schmuhl, N., Binder, A. R., Scheufele, D. A., & Shaw, B. R. (2010, December). Off the top of your head: Exploring the influence of mental associations on risk and benefit perceptions of biofuels. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Salt Lake City, UT.
• Cacciatore, M. A., Brigham Schmuhl, N., Binder, A. R., Scheufele, D. A., & Shaw, B. R. (2010, December). Assessing public opinion of alternative energies: The role of cognitive associations in support for biofuels. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Salt Lake City, UT.
• Binder, A. R. (2010, August). Explicating media use 2.0: A theoretical and empirical examination of a key communication concept. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (Communication Theory & Methodology Division), Denver, CO.
• Binder, A. R., Cacciatore, M. A., Scheufele, D. A., Shaw, B. R., & Corley, E. A. (2010, May). Measuring perceptions of emerging technologies: Errors in survey self-reports and their potential impact on communication of public opinion toward science. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk Interest Group), Denver, CO.
• Cacciatore, M. A., Binder, A. R., Shaw, B. R., & Scheufele, D. A. (2010, May). Biofuels and public benefit and risk perceptions: The interacting effects of political ideology and media attention. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (Mass Communication & Society Division), Denver, CO.
• Binder, A. R., Cacciatore, M. A., Brigham Schmuhl, N., Shaw, B. R., & Scheufele, D. A. (2010, May). Effects of priming and extremity of response on individual support for alternative energy: Evidence from a survey-based experiment. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL.
• Brigham Schmuhl, N., Cacciatore, M. A., Binder, A. R., Shaw, B. R., & Scheufele, D. A. (2010, May). Technological innovation in America’s backyard: The intersection of media use, political partisanship, and public opinion of biofuels. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL.
• *Binder, A. R., Scheufele, D. A., Brossard, D., & Gunther, A. C. (2009, December). Interpersonal amplification of risk? The influence of discussion on perceptions of risks and benefits of a biological research facility. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Baltimore, MD.
  *First Place Paper, Risk Communication Specialty Group ExxonMobil Student Paper Competition
• Binder, A. R., Scheufele, D. A., Brossard, D., & Gunther, A. C. (2009, December). How local is risk? Exploring macro-level context and individual-level factors in risk communication across five potential sites for a biological research facility. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Baltimore, MD.
• *Binder, A. R. (2009, November). One nation, divided or united? A cross-sectional and longitudinal comparison of the antecedents to participatory behavior, 2000-2004. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL.
  *Top Three Student Paper, MAPOR Fellows Student Paper Competition
• Binder, A. R., Dahlstrom, M. R., Shih, T., & Brossard, D. (2009, November). An inconvenient source? Attributes of science documentaries and their effects on information-related behavioral intentions. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL.
• Binder, A. R., Scheufele, D. A., Brossard, D., Gunther, A. C., & Dalrymple, K. E. (2009, November). Risk and social context: Comparing public opinion and media coverage of a bio-research facility across five candidate sites. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL.
• Shaw, B. R., Ryan, E. L., Namkoong, K., Akin, H. E., & Binder, A. R. (2009, November). Pathway or impediment to progress? Effects of news frames on individual attitudes toward biofuels and their potential benefits for global warming. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL.
• Binder, A. R. (2009, August). Differentiating measures of news media use along dimensions of attention and exposure, medium, and content domains. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (Communication Theory & Methodology Division), Boston, MA.
• Binder, A. R., & Scheufele, D. A. (2009, May). Telling me something I already know? Testing intensification effects of news media use on attitudes and vote choice. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association (Political Communication Division), Chicago, IL.
• Binder, A. R. (2008, December). Risk amplification and attenuation through news media: Re-evaluating the role of mediated reality in the social amplification of risk framework. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Boston, MA.
• Binder, A. R., & Dalrymple K. E. (2008, November). Science, democracy, and influence: Public evaluations of the roles of scientists and elected officials in science policy-making. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL.
• Dalrymple, K. E., & Binder, A. R. (2008, November). Does online campaigning pay off? An examination of changes in knowledge gaps during the 2004 presidential election campaign. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL.
• Binder, A. R. (2008, August). Pathways to alarm or shortcuts to apathy? Testing a communication mediation model of science-policy issue salience. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (Communication Theory & Methodology Division), Chicago, IL.
• Ho, S. S., Becker, A. B., Binder, A. R., Scheufele, D. A., Brossard, D., & Gunther, A. C. (2008, May). Do perceptions of media bias undermine citizenship? An examination across elections and issues. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association (Political Communication Division), Montréal, Canada.
• Binder, A. R. (2007, November). With Roe v. Wade at stake: Value predispositions, policy stance, and public opinion of Supreme Court appointments. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL.
• Hillback, E. D., Binder, A. R., & Brossard, D. (2007, November). Conflict or caveats? Effects of media portrayals of scientific uncertainty on perceptions of new technologies. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL.
• Binder, A. R. & Puig-i-Abril, E. (2007, August). Thwarted by frames: Attributions of poverty and support for public policy. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication (Communication Theory & Methodology Division), Washington, DC.
• Binder, A. R., Dalrymple, K. E., Brossard, D., Scheufele, D. A., & Kim, E. (2007, May). The soul of a polarized democracy: Talk, media, and attitude extremity during the 2004 presidential election. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association (Political Communication Division), San Francisco, CA.
• Nan, X., Puig-i-Abril, E., Binder, A. R., & Rojas, H. (2007, May). Issue responsiveness and negative affect in the framing of poverty: An experiment of gains versus losses. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association (Political Communication Division), San Francisco, CA.
• Binder, A. R. Campaigning on controversy: Stem cell research and voting in the 2004 presidential election. (2007, May). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Anaheim, CA.
• Nan, X., Puig-i-Abril, E., Binder, A. R., Nevar, P. M., Minzlaff, J. L., & Hitchon, J. (2006, November). The framing of poverty: An experiment on gains, losses, and issue responsiveness. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL.

On-Campus Colloquia

• 2012, "Perspectives from the Humanities and Social Sciences on Genetic Pest Management" (with Michael D. Cobb and Ashley R. Kelly), Colloquium on IGERT: Genetic Engineering and Society, North Carolina State University.
• 2011, "Methodological Approaches to Researching Digital Media" (with Adriana de Souza e Silva and David Rieder), Colloquium in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media, North Carolina State University.
• 2010, "Public Communication of Science & Technology and Empirical Social Science" (with David M. Berube), Colloquium in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media, North Carolina State University.
• 2010, “Innovation in Our Own Backyard: Investigating Public Opinion Formation About Biofuels in Wisconsin” (with Nicholas Brigham Schmuhl), Colloquium in Life Sciences Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Teaching & Advising

Courses Taught

• COM 386. Quantitative Communication Research Methods (Undergraduate), North Carolina State University (formerly COM 486).
• COM 498. Special Topics in Communication: Media & Politics (Undergraduate), North Carolina State University.
• COM 541/798. Quantitative Methods in Applied Communication (Graduate), North Carolina State University.
• COM 598/798. Seminar in Mass Media & Public Opinion (Graduate), North Carolina State University.
• LSC 100. Introduction to Communication: Inquiry and Exposition (Undergraduate), University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• LSC 375/875. Communicating Controversial Science (Undergraduate/Graduate), University of Wisconsin-Madison. Course assistant to Dominique Brossard.

Service & Outreach

Volunteer conference activites

• Chair for session on Communicating Risks in Times of Duress, annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Charleston, SC, December 2011.
• Chair for session on Rhetorical, Political, and Technological Risk Environments, research symposium on Environments, Risks, and Digital Media, Raleigh, NC, April 2011.
• Chair for paper session Information Behaviors, annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Baltimore, MD, December 2009.
• Moderator for paper session Trust and Politics, annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL, November 2009.
• Chair for paper session Risk Amplification, annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Boston, MA, December 2008.
• Moderator for paper session New Media and Public Opinion, annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL, November 2008.
• Member, Graduate Student Committee, annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL, November 2007.
• Moderator for paper session Political Communication - Elections I, annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL, November 2007.
• Chair for paper session Information-Seeking, Knowledge Gain, and Media Influence, annual meeting of the International Communication Association, San Francisco, CA, May, 2007.
• Chair for paper session 2006 Pre-Election Polls I, annual meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Anaheim, CA, May, 2007.
• Moderator for paper session Third Person Effects, annual meeting of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago, IL, November 2006.

Reviews and Review Committees

• Ad-Hoc Manuscript Reviewer for Communication Research, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, Journal of Communication, Journal of Nanoparticle Research, Mass Communication & Society, Politics & the Life Sciences, Public Understanding of Science, Scandinavian Journal of Political Studies, and Science Communciation, 2010-present
• Manuscript referee for AEJMC's Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk Interest Group; ICA's Political Communication Division and Mass Communication Division, 2010-present.

University Service

North Carolina State University

• Associate Graduate Faculty Member, The Graduate School (2010-present)
• Program Faculty Member, Interdisciplinary Program in Science, Technology, & Society (2011-present)
• Program Faculty Member, Doctoral Program in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media (CRDM), Departments of Communication and English (2010-present)
• Member, Department Bylaws Committee, Department of Communication (2010-present)
• Member, Grants Committee, Department of Communication (2010-present)

Professional Association Membership

• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)
• Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
• International Communication Association (ICA)
• Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research (MAPOR)
• Society for Risk Analysis (SRA)
• World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR)

Related Professional Skills

Foreign languages

• French – fluent spoken and written
• Italian – fair speaking and reading ability
• Arabic, German, and Russian – basic reading ability and grammatical knowledge

Information technology

• Basic applications: Microsoft Office
• Statistical analysis: SPSS, LISREL, Mplus, R, HLM
• Media design and production: Adobe Creative Suite; Final Cut Pro; Audacity
• Web design: Adobe Dreamweaver & Fireworks; HTML, CSS, and PHP
• Database programming: MySQL and FileMaker Pro 10
• Extensive knowledge of both Windows and Macintosh operating systems

Related Professional Experience

Wisconsin Public Radio

• Announcer & Board Operator, 2005-2007
  For weekday program Talk of the Nation and weekend morning programming
• Substitute On-Air Producer, Technical Director, 2006-2007
  For programs Conversations with Larry Meiller and Here On Earth with Jean Feraca
  

United States Peace Corps

• English Teacher & Health Educator, 2003-2005
  Lycée de Ndélélé, Cameroon
• Teacher Trainer & Model School Coordinator, July-Aug. 2004
  Peace Corps Training, Lycée Classique de Mbalmayo, Cameroon