New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 26, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor William Hallman is available for interviews on the science of risk perception and its practical implications in the COVID-19 era – a time of fear and anxiety among millions of people.
“The threat of COVID-19 is on everyone’s minds and rightly so, but as we wash our hands, wear masks and social distance, we shouldn’t forget about the other risks to our health,” said Hallman, an experimental psychologist who chairs the Department of Human Ecology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. He is also a Rutgers Global Health Institute core faculty member. “We still need to vaccinate our kids, exercise, eat right, drive safely, floss and see a doctor when we don’t feel well. We can’t neglect all of the things necessary to prevent and treat the health and safety issues that we normally face outside of the pandemic.”
Since the 1980s, Hallman has studied public perceptions of risk involving dozens of issues, including exposure to environmental contaminants; living next to a hazardous waste dump; unexplained symptom syndromes, including chronic fatigue, multiple chemical sensitivities and Gulf War syndrome; genetically modified and gene-edited foods; organic foods; cloning; germs; avian influenza; and uptake of the flu vaccine.
He has also studied risk perception regarding nanotechnology in food and agriculture; food safety practices; food recalls; food safety risks associated with buying perishable meat, poultry, seafood and game products online and having them delivered to your home using UPS or FedEx; coastal storm evacuations; Lyme disease; power lines; and other issues related to food, air, water, agriculture, technology, public health and the environment.
Hallman is scheduled to participate in “Risky Business: The Science of Risk Perception,” a conversation with Ahmed Best, a writer, director, producer, actor, musician and futurist. The free online event is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, Oct. 28. It is hosted by the Science & Entertainment Exchange, a program of the National Academy of Sciences.
Hallman is available to comment at hallman@sebs.rutgers.edu or 848-932-9227.
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Broadcast interviews: Rutgers University has broadcast-quality TV and radio studios available for remote live or taped interviews with Rutgers experts. For more information, contact Neal Buccino at neal.buccino@echo.rutgers.edu
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