Fabien Medvecky

Fabien Medvecky

Senior Lecturer in Science Communication | University of Otago
fabien.medvecky@otago.ac.nz

Biography

Dr Fabien Medvecky is a Senior Lecturer in science communication at the University of Otago’s Centre for Science Communication. He works on the interaction between science and society, focusing on the role of values, especially ethics and economics, in social decisions around science. Before joining Otago, Fabien was in the Science Communication Program at the University of Queensland, Australia. He publishes on science communication and science policy, ethics, economics. Fabien Medvecky is an active member of the science communication community in NZ (Science Communicators Associations of New Zealand) and internationally, and was the president of the Science Communicators’ Association of New Zealand from 2015 to 2018.

Research lines

Science Communication

Philosophy of Economics

Social Ethics

Social Epistemology

Publications

Articles

  • Medvecky, F., J. Metcalfe and M. Riedlinger (2023). Response to: “Looking back to launch forward: a self-reflexive approach to decolonising science education and communication in Africa”. Recognizing and validating multiple knowledge ecologies. Journal of Science Communication 22(4): Y03.
  • Dickie, L. & Medvecky, F. (2023) The attitudes of young adults towards mammalian predator control and Predator Free 2050 in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australasian Journal of Environmental Management 30:2,170-187, DOI: 10.1080/14486563.2023.2215728
  • Van Oudheusden, M., Berti Suman, A., Huyse, T., Huyse, H. and Medvecky, F. (2023) “The Valuable Plurality of the Citizen Sciences”, Science & Technology Studies. doi: 10.23987/sts.126210.
  • MacBride-Stewart, S., McEntee, M., Macknight, V., Medvecky, F., and Martin, M. (2023). What We Do in Kauri Forests: Exploring the Affective Worlds of ‘High Risk’ Users of Vulnerable Forest Areas in Aotearoa|New Zealand. Knowledge Cultures, 11(1), 184–204. https://doi.org/10.22381/kc111202310
  • McEntee, M., Medvecky, F., MacBride-Stewart, S., Macknight, V., and  Martin, M. (2023). Park Rangers and Science-Public Expertise: Science as Care in Biosecurity for Kauri Trees in Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Minerva 61, 117–140.
  • Dixson, H. G. W., A. F. Komugabe-Dixson, F. Medvecky, J. Balanovic, H. Thygesen and E. A. MacDonald (2023). Trust in science and scientists: Effects of social attitudes and motivations on views regarding climate change, vaccines and gene drive technology. Journal of Trust Research, 1-25. 
  • Medvecky, F. (2022). Public Understanding of Ignorance as Critical Science Literacy. Sustainability, 14(10), 5920.
  • Metcalfe, J., Gascoigne, T., Medvecky, F., & Nepote, A. C. (2022). Participatory science communication for transformation. In (Vol. 21, pp. E): SISSA Medialab.
  • Barratt, V., & Medvecky, F. (2022). Knowledge and attitudes towards Australian wildlife rescue services. Australian Zoologist.
  • Heimann, A & Medvecky, F. (2022). Attitudes and motivations of New Zealand conservation volunteers, New Zealand Journal of Ecology 46(1): 3464
  • Reid, O. S., & Medvecky, F. (2021). Sharks and New Zealand news media. Marine Policy, 134, 104751. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104751
  • Kevin Albertson, Stevienna de Saille, Poonam Pandey, Effie Amanatidou, Keren Naa Abeka Arthur, Michiel Van Oudheusden & Fabien Medvecky (2021) An RRI for the present moment: relational and ‘well-up’ innovation, Journal of Responsible Innovation, DOI: 10.1080/23299460.2021.1961066
  • Macknight, V., & Medvecky, F. (2021). ‘It’s not like any survey I’ve ever seen before’: Discrete Choice Experiments as a Valuation Technology. Valuation Studies, 8(1). doi:10.3384/VS.2001-5992.2021.8.1.7-31
  • MacDonald EA, Edwards ED, Balanovic J, Medvecky F. (2021) Scientifically framed gene drive communication perceived as credible but riskier. People & Nature. 2021;00:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10186
  • Finkler, W.; Medvecky, F. y Davis, L. S. (2021). Environmental Immersion and Mobile Filmmaking for Science Education: a New Zealand Pilot Study. Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 17(1), e2228. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/9155
  • MacDonald, E. A.; Edwards, E.; Balanovic, J.; Medvecky, F. (2020). Underlying beliefs linked to public opinion about gene drive and pest-specific toxin for pest control. Wildlife Research, 48(1), 30-37. https://doi.org/10.1071/WR19149
  • MacDonald, E. A., Balanovic, J., Edwards, E. D., Abrahamse, W., Frame, B., Greenaway, A., Kannemeyer, R., Kirk, N., Medvecky, F., Milfont, T., Russell, J., Tompkins, D. M. (2020). Public Opinion Towards Gene Drive as a Pest Control Approach for Biodiversity Conservation and the Association of Underlying Worldviews. Environmental Communication, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2019.1702568
  • Macknight, V. y Medvecky, F. (2020). (Google-)Knowing Economics. Social Epistemology, 1-14.  https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2019.1702735
  • MacDonald, E.;  Harbrow, M.;  Jack, S.; Kidd, J.; Wright, A.; Tuinder, P.; Balanovic, J.; Medvecky, F. y Poutasil, M. (2019). Segmenting urban populations for greater conservation gains: A new approach targeting cobenefits is required. Conservation Science and Practice. e101. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.101
  • Fraser-Baxter, S. y Medvecky, F. (2018) Evaluating the media’s reporting of public and political responses to human-shark interactions in N.S.W, Australia, Marine Policy, 97, 109-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2018.08.020
  • Sharif, A. y Medvecky, F. (2018) Climate change news reporting in Pakistan: A qualitative analysis of environmental journalists and the barriers they face. Journal of Science Communication, 17(01), A03. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.17010203
  • Medvecky, F. (2018). Fairness in knowing: Science communication and epistemic justice. Science and Engineering Ethics, 24, 1393–1408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9977-0
  • Medvecky, F. y Macknight, V. (2017). Building the economic-public relationship: learning from science communication and science studies. Journal of Science Communication, 16(02), A01. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.16020201
  • Burns, M. y Medvecky, F. (2016) The disengaged in science communication: How not to count audiences and publics, Public Understanding of Science, 27(2)1-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662516678351
  • de Saille, S. y Medvecky, F. (2016) Innovation for a Steady State: A case for Responsible Stagnation, Economy and Society, 45(1)1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/03085147.2016.1143727
  • Hine, A. y Medvecky, F. (2015). Unfinished science in museums: A push for critical science literacy. Journal of Science Communication, 14(02), A04. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.14020204
  • Medvecky, F. (2015). Transgressions and the Scientific Knower. Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective, 4(2) 37-41. Disponible aquí
  • Medvecky, F. (2014). Valuing the environment in conservation economics: conceptual and structural barriers. Ethics & the Environment, 19(2), 39-55. https://doi.org/10.2979/ethicsenviro.19.2.39
  • Medvecky, F.; Lacey, J. y Ashworth, P. (2014). Examining the Role of Carbon Capture and Storage Through an Ethical Lens. Science and Engineering Ethics, 20(4), 1111-1128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-013-9474-z
  • Medvecky, F. (2013). Economics, Science and the Spandrels of San Marco. Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective, 3(1), 20-22. Disponible aquí
  • Medvecky, F. (2012). Valuing environmental costs and benefits in an uncertain future: risk aversion and discounting. Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics, 5(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.23941/ejpe.v5i1.91
  • Parris, K. M.; McCall, S. C.,; McCarthy, M. A.; Minteer, B. A.; Steele, K.; Bekessy, S. y Medvecky, F. (2010). Assessing ethical trade-offs in ecological field studies. Journal of Applied Ecology, 47(1), 227-234. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01755.x

Books

  • Macknight, V. & Medvecky, F. (2023) Making Economics Public. The Hows and Whys of Communicating Markets and Models, Routledge
  • de Saille, S.; Medvecky, F.; van Oudheusden, M.; Albertson, K.; Amanatidou, E.; Birabi, T. y Pansera, M. (2020). Responsibility Beyond Growth: A Case for Responsible Stagnation, Policy Press.
  • Medvecky, F. y Leach, J. (2019). An Ethics of Science Communication.  Palgrave, London.

Book chapters

  • ​Medvecky, F. (2020). “Epistemic Paternalism, Science and Communication” in Guy Axtell, G. & Bernal, A. Epistemic Paternalism: Conceptions, Justifications, and Implications, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD
  • Medvecky, F. (2016). “The Cost of Being Known: Economics, Science Communication and Epistemic Justice” in James H. Collier (ed).  The Future of Social Epistemology: A Collective Vision, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD
  • Medvecky, F. (2014). “Sinking our teeth into public policy economics: A taste of immortality” in Whitman, G. and Dow, J. (eds). Economics of the Undead:  Zombies, Vampires, and the Dismal Science, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD

Communications

  • Putting Responsibility Centre-Stage: The Case Of Responsible Stagnation. Society for Social Studies of Science conference. Sydney, August 2018
  • The ethics of risk communication (Keynote). Society for Risk Analysis Benelux. Mol, BE, March 2018
  • The scientific basis of homeopathy, where is the (mis)communication?. Public Communication of Science and Technology conference. Dunedin, NZ, April 2018
  • Valuing good engagement process and individual outcomes in decision-maker engagement with science. Public Communication of Science and Technology conference. Dunedin, NZ, April 2018
  • Turning undergraduates into science storytellers. What are the best practices? Public Communication of Science and Technology conference. Dunedin, NZ, April 2018
  • The role of professional science communication associations in supporting science communicators and legitimising science communication practices. Public Communication of Science and Technology conference. Dunedin, NZ, April 2018
  • Big challenges for small countries in science communication. Public Communication of Science and Technology conference. Dunedin, NZ, April 2018
  • Talking about values in science communication. Public Communication of Science and Technology conference. Dunedin, NZ, April 2018
  • The ethical norms of science communication. Science in Public Conference. Sheffield, July, 2017
  • The (economic) value of science. Australasian Science Communicators Conference. Adelaide, Australia, February 2017
  • Perception of homeopathy by homeopathy users in New Zealand. Science Communicators’ Association of New Zealand Conference. Dunedin, November, 2016
  • The ethical norms of science communication. Science Communicators’ Association of New Zealand Conference. Dunedin, November, 2016
  • Innovation Beyond Growth: Opening the black box of ‘Responsible Stagnation’. European Association for the Study of Science and Technology/ Society for Social Studies of Science joined conference. Barcelona, Spain, September 2016
  • Science Communication and Epistemic Justice. Public Communication of Science and Technology Conference. Istanbul, Turkey, April 2016
  • Scientists Behaving Badly. Public Communication of Science and Technology Conference. Istanbul, Turkey, April 2016
  • Responsible Innovation (RI) and the Steady State: A Case for Responsible Stagnation? Society for then Study of Nanoscience and Emerging Technologies. Montreal, Canada, October 2015
  • Economics’ failure as a social science. Interdisciplinary Social Sciences International Conference: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Contemporary Social Change. Split, Croatia, June 2015
  • Reinterpreting disengagement. International Communication Association. Brisbane, Australia, October 2014
  • The disengaged, non-response and dialogue. European Association for the Study of Science and Technology. Torun, Poland, September 2014
  • The Idiot, the Disengaged, the Counterpublic: Rethinking audiences for science communication. Australasian Science Communicators Conference. Brisbane, Australia, February 2014
  • Valuing the environment in conservation economics: life or lumber? History and Philosophy of Science in Australia: Looking Forward Conference. University of Sydney, Australia, September 2012