The Knight Center’s senior associate director was recently recognized by Michigan State University for efforts that promote civic engagement and service learning.
The university cited David Poulson for integrating public service news reporting into classroom teaching and for his work teaching scientists to communicate their research directly to the public.
Poulson, a 1982 graduate of MSU’s School of Journalism, was a journalist for 22 years before returning to the university to teach in 2003. He has created three environment-related news services that are used as teaching platforms, but also enable students, faculty and professional journalists to report environmental news in multi-media venues.

One, recognized in 2007 with a national Knight Batten award for innovations in journalism, evolved into Great Lakes Echo. The 8-year-old publication is one of the largest sources of original environmental reporting of the Great Lakes region.
Poulson also created and edits The Food Fix, a publication of MSU’s Global Center for Food Systems Innovation. It reports on food production challenges and innovations in the developing world.
He has organized and taught numerous workshops in the U.S. and abroad to help both scientists and journalists better explain environmental research and problems and to better understand each others culture. He is a member of the board of directors of the Society of Environmental Journalists.
The International Association of Great Lakes Research recognized him in 2015 for career-long efforts to inform the public and policymakers about the Great Lakes.
Prabu David, the dean of MSU’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences, nominated Poulson for the award given by MSU’s Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement.