Richard Barke

About

Dr. Richard Barke is an Associate Professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech. He earned his BS in Physics with a minor in Geophysics from Georgia Tech, which sparked his interest in the intersections between science and public policy. He further obtained his MA and PhD in Political Science from the University of Rochester. Dr. Barke has taught at the University of Houston before returning to Georgia Tech, where he played a key role in founding the Ivan Allen College and the School of Public Policy. He has served as the school chair and as Associate Dean of the college. His professional work includes consulting for the Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government on reforming congressional science budgeting and advisory processes, as well as serving as a visiting scholar at the University of Ghent in Belgium. His research focuses on the regulation of risk, the roles of politics within science, and science within politics. Dr. Barke has contributed extensively to scholarly discourse, publishing in prominent journals and authoring books such as 'Science, Technology, and Public Policy' and co-authoring 'Governing the American Republic.' He has been recognized with multiple awards for his service and teaching, including Georgia Tech's Outstanding Service Award and the IAC Faculty Legacy Award. His teaching encompasses courses on political processes, intergenerational policy, ethics and risk, and regulatory policy, with a…

Research topics

• Sociology
• Computer Science
• Political Science
• Physics
• Law
• Economic growth
• Engineering
• Mathematics
• Economics

Selected publications

• Risk perceptions of men and women scientists

  Social Science Quarterly · 1997-03-01 · 188 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Studies of the general public have shown that women express far greater concern than men about many health and environmental hazards. A variety of explanations have been offered, including differentials in scientific knowledge or general concerns about technology. The purpose of this study is to analyze differences in the ways that men and women scientists perceive nuclear risk. This article examines the risk attitudes and perceptions of a large mail survey sample of men and women scientists. Th…

  Publisher

• Politics and Scientific Expertise: Scientists, Risk Perception, and Nuclear Waste Policy

  Risk Analysis · 1993-08-01 · 186 citations

  article1st author

  To study the homogeneity and influences on scientists' perspectives of environmental risks, we have examined similarities and differences in risk perceptions, particularly regarding nuclear wastes, and policy preferences among 1011 scientists and engineers. We found significant differences (p < 0.05) in the patterns of beliefs among scientists from different fields of research. In contrast to physicists, chemists, and engineers, life scientists tend to: (a) perceive the greatest risks from nucle…

  PublisherDOI

• Environmental Concerns and the New Environmental Paradigm in Bulgaria

  The Journal of Environmental Education · 2006-04-01 · 46 citations

  article

  Little is known about environmental concerns and attitudes among people in former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe despite widespread perceptions of severe environmental problems. The authors addressed this gap by examining Bulgarians' environmental concerns with a focus on whether the new environmental paradigm (NEP) scale can reliably measure their environmental orientations. Three surveys conducted in Bulgaria in 1998, 1999, and 2000 provide evidence of high environmental concern, and…

  PublisherDOI

• New public infrastructures for small firm industral modernization in the USA

  Entrepreneurship and Regional Development · 1995-01-01 · 36 citations

  articleSenior author

  There has been increasing concern in the United States about lagging industrial modernization, especially amongst the nation's small and midsized manufacturers with 500 or fewer employees. This has prompted a series of new technological infrastructure initiatives by federal and state governments, academic and industry organizations, and other groups. New legislation, policies and programmes have been established to promote industrial competitiveness and modernization for small and midsized firms…

  PublisherDOI

• Reconciling Scientists' Beliefs about Radiation Risks and Social Norms: Explaining Preferred Radiation Protection Standards

  Risk Analysis · 2007-06-01 · 35 citations

  articleSenior author

  Social scientists have argued about the role of political beliefs in highly charged policy debates among scientific experts. In debates about environmental hazards, the focus of contention is likely to rest on the appropriate scientific assumptions to inform safety standards. When scientific communities are polarized, one would expect to find systematic differences among combatants in the choice of appropriate assumptions, and variation in the application of "precaution" in standard setting. We…

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Hank Jenkins‐Smith

  University of Oklahoma

  4 shared

• Peter J. Ludovice

  3 shared

• Philip Shapira

  2 shared

• Carol Silva

  University of Oklahoma

  2 shared

• Paul M. Griffin

  1 shared

• Robert W. Smith

  University of Alberta

  1 shared

• Susan O. Griffin

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  1 shared

• Robert E. O’Connor

  University of Virginia

  1 shared

Awards & honors

• Georgia Tech's Outstanding Service Award
• IAC Faculty Legacy Award
• ANAK Faculty of the Year
• Georgia Tech Student Government Association Faculty of the Y…

Similar researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology

• Michael Elliotth-83
• Cassidy R. Sugimotoh-54
• Marilyn A. Brownh-43