Delborne accepts professorship at UW Madison
Jason Delborne / University of Wisconsin Madison
Jason Delborne joined the University of Wisconsin Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs as associate professor of public affairs in Spring 2025, with a focus on science and technology policy. He shared his background, interests, things he’s excited to share with students, and more in a Q&A with the school’s news. Below are a few excerpts from the story, and you can read the full story here.
What types of questions do you address in your research?
“I am interested in how we develop and govern emerging technologies in a responsible manner that serves the public good. In particular, I have focused on the role of stakeholder and public engagement to inform the design and control of environmental biotechnologies. …”
How did you get interested in this field?
“I went to graduate school during a time when molecular biologists were beginning to explore the power of genetic engineering and were blindsided by the public opposition to GMOs (genetically modified organisms). I was fascinated by the way that various actors in public and policy controversies seemed to speak past one another and even demonize the other side. …”
What’s something interesting about your area of expertise that you’re excited to share with students?
“We live in a moment with serious tensions and uncertainties regarding the roles of scientific expertise, popular sentiment, political advocacy, government bureaucracy, social media, academia, and market forces to guide decisions about science and technology. We face complex challenges with artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and decarbonization of our energy supply. It might be tempting to just shrug and decide that there is nothing to be done – that technologies are inevitable and only powerful elites have any say over how they will be used or regulated. But my research explores strategies for bringing in more diverse voices into the governance of emerging technologies, and my experience suggests that such attempts can be worthwhile and meaningful.”
What are you reading or watching currently?
“just finished “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes” (2017) by Dan Egan, which helped me understand the history of invasive species management in the Great Lakes. …”
Hobbies and interests
“I love to be outside — biking, cross-country skiing, hiking, paddling, or playing volleyball, tennis, or pickleball. I have also been doing improv theater since I was in college, and I love taking classes and performing. For me, improv theater is not just a way to make people laugh, but offers lessons on how to live, how to work with others, and how to tap into new sources of creativity.”