Nazra Izhar

Project focus: The Fellow will conduct applied science communication research focused on community building and public engagement. 

Nazra Izhar began her career as a reporter and host covering health and agriculture for Doordarshan, India’s national broadcaster. She learned that people’s questions rarely fit neatly into an expert’s prepared answer. What mattered was understanding their concerns and communicating in ways that spoke to their lives. That lesson stayed with Nazra through her work in advertising and nonprofit communication. As the creative head of an education nonprofit, she helped develop curriculum for children from underserved communities. She also conducted community fieldwork in India, speaking with residents and local stakeholders while documenting a public health initiative. Each experience deepened her interest in how information reaches people and whose perspectives shape it. Nazra brought those questions into her research and teaching. She earned her Ph.D. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Kansas. Her research has explored media literacy, institutional trust, health misinformation, climate communication, and civic participation. At the University of Kansas Center for Digital Inclusion, Nazra supports community-engaged research to improve digital access and technology education, especially in underserved communities. Teaching has been another constant in Nazra’s career. She was an assistant professor in India and has taught at the University of Kansas, bringing more than seven years of experience to courses in public relations, media writing, and media and society.