Biography

Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Health & Science Communication
Ph.D. University of Washington

Dr. Coleman’s research locates the values that exist in otherwise “objective” phenomena. As a rhetorician—a scholar of persuasion—he studies the ways in which persons accept or reject claims of science, technology, and medicine. His work outlines frameworks and methodologies for approaching problems of science denialism (e.g., HIV/AIDS denialism or vaccine denialism), while also carving space for considering the ethical implications of new media technologies. 

Increasingly, Dr. Coleman is fascinated with the idea of "hidden" persuasion. For example, the “nudges” embedded in software interfaces or the subtle ways that musical and non-musical sounds can encourage people to reconsider their feelings about health and science issues. 

For Dr. Coleman, teaching and learning are energizing. He has been teaching at the university level for over a decade. He is a success-centered instructor who cares very much about helping students discover and cultivate their interests, their talents, and their futures. 

Born and raised in sunny Northern California, Dr. Coleman most recently lived in Seattle, WA, before moving to New Jersey with his spouse, basset hound, and orange cat. 

Courses

HSC 08100 - Introduction to Health and Science Communication
CMS 04393 - Rhetoric of Science, Technology, and Medicine
HSC 08350 - Special Topics: Comprehending COVID-19

Research

Dr. Coleman’s research agenda consists of two areas of focus: Science denialism and responsible communication technology.

Science Denialism

Science denialism is the rejection of claims to truth, despite overwhelming scientific consensus in support of those claims. Such claims threaten public understanding with misunderstandings that can (unfortunately) shape policy and personal decision-making to persons’ detriment. By building out methods and theoretical frameworks that account not only the facts under debate, but also the values relevant to particular publics, Dr. Coleman's work supports science advocacy, informing better (and more responsible) public interventions into science denialism.

Responsible Communication Technology

Increasingly, we experience communication as shaped by platforms and applications, that may, or may not, support productive dialogue on important public issues. By pursuing the “hidden” assumptions that undergird software, Dr. Coleman's work helps to support the responsible design and use of computational media toward enhancing public understanding.

Recent Publications

Angela M. Cirucci, Miles Coleman, Dan Strasser, and Evan Garaizar. "Culturally Responsive Communication in Generative AI: Looking at ChatGPT’s Advice for Coming Out." AI & Society (2024): 1-9.

Miles C. Coleman. Influential Machines: The Rhetoric of Computational Performance. University of South Carolina Press. 

Miles C. Coleman, Brandon Simon, Matt Pierce, and Charles A. Schutte. "Emergent Sonification: Using Computational Media to Communicate the Anthropocene in ByrdBot." Science Communication 45, no. 2 (2023): 252-266.

Miles C. Coleman and Will Mari. "Networks in Motion: The Alliances of Information Communication Technologies and Mobility Technologies During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic." Mobile Media & Communication 11, no. 2 (2023): 156-173.

Miles C. Coleman, “Attempting to Stop the Spread: Epistemic Responsibility and Platformed Responses to the COVID-19 ‘Infodemic’.” Social Media Ethics and COVID-19: Well-Being, Truth, Misinformation, and Authenticity, ed. Berrin Beasley and Pamela Zeiser (Lexington Books, 2022).​