Muhammad Ittefaq Ph.D.
Bio
Muhammad Ittefaq is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Communication at Michigan State University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of the Punjab, Pakistan; an M.A. in Media and Communication Science from Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany; and a Ph.D. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Kansas, USA. He is also affiliated with the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Muslim Studies Program, and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication (Mason 4C). Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Studies at James Madison University. He also worked as senior research scientist and collaborator with Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard University
His research focuses on global news coverage of health and environmental issues, science misinformation, AI's impact on health and environment, and how different populations interpret scientific messages, make decisions related to health and climate, and support policies related to science.
Public Outreach and Engagement
Dr. Ittefaq’s goal is to share the latest research and knowledge while fostering genuine, open conversations with experts, authors, policymakers, communicators, and journalists. Through these conversations, he aims to inform the public and enrich the information ecosystem around critical issues such as climate change, science, and health.
To advance this goal, he launched his own podcast, Science Talk, on YouTube and Instagram. The podcast explores issues related to climate change, health, science, and technology, offering thought-provoking analysis of our changing climate and its impacts on human health and beyond. His Instagram content reaches 5–10 million people monthly.
Beyond podcasting, Dr. Ittefaq’s public-facing writing has appeared in a range of news media outlets, think tanks, and research organizations. His work has addressed topics including climate injustice, polio vaccination and misinformation, the air pollution crisis in South Asia, climate activism in the Global South, and more.
Research Centers and Labs
Research and Teaching
Climate change
Environmental journalism
Science communication
Misinformation
Emerging technologies