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Ellen Ruppel Shell

Co-Director, Center for Science & Medical Journalism Professor, Journalism at Boston University

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  • Boston University

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Biography

Boston University

A correspondent and contributing editor for the Atlantic Magazine, Ellen Ruppel Shell writes about science and public policy for such national publications as Smithsonian, Audubon, The New York Times,  Seed, Discover and the Washington Post. She has served as an editor for many magazines and for public broadcasting, and is sought frequently as a commentator on issues of science and the press. She is author of three books, most recently Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture (Penguin, 2009), a narrative investigation of the history, politics, psychology, economics and consequences of low-price consumption in America, praised as “highly intelligent…a first-rate job of reporting and analysis” by_The_ New York Times Sunday Book Review. An earlier work, The Hungry Gene: The Science of Fat and the Future of Thin (Grove/Atlantic, 2002), published in six languages, took an unflinching look at the spreading obesity pandemic. Critics called it “enthralling,” written with a “narrative gift that transforms the story of history, science and politics of obesity” into “observant little dramas” that are both “fascinating” and “chilling.” A frequent contributor to the opinion page of the Boston Globe, her blog, “To Reason and Beyond,” is featured on the theatlantic.com. Ruppel Shell speaks both here and abroad on consumer culture, environmental issues and the interface between science, policy and the media.

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Cases

Good Grades Don’t Guarantee Success: What Indian Education System Needs To Learn

August 10, 2017

NDTV quoting Ellen Ruppel Shell, College of Communication “The result season is almost over. Students are now fretting over their marks and what career to pursue based on the marks they have scored…” Expert quote: “GPA is a noisome construct, and misleading. . . an indication of far less than we believe it to be.” […]

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An Overreaction to Food Allergies

October 20, 2015

Scientific American By Ellen Ruppel Shell, College of Communication Many children are wrongly diagnosed with food allergies because of inaccurate tests… View full article by expert Ellen Ruppel Shell

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What should a shirt cost?

May 19, 2013

Boston Globe (subscription required) Ellen Ruppel Shell, College of Communication It’s easy to feel powerless against the tidal wave of discount clothes, the pull of $5 chinos for a fast-growing boy, the trendy summer dresses that are bombarding my inbox, starting at $14.99… Expert quote: “Consumers have more power than they think.” View full article

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Emotional high from cheap deals

May 4, 2013

Hamilton Spectator Ellen Ruppel Shell, College of Communication The search for bargains is so ingrained in today’s discount shopping society that few consumers stop to think about where their clothing and other purchases come from, experts in consumer psychology say… Expert quote: “What if consumers knew there was a tag that said this is going […]

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After Bangladesh, what’s the real cost of a cheap $8 shirt?

May 4, 2013

Globe and Mail Ellen Ruppel Shell, College of Communication Canadian consumers grappled with the guilt and confusion tied to that question Thursday as horror played out in Bangladesh… Expert quote: “It’s not a black and white situation. This is not: either the public has to pay a fortune for their clothes, or they have to […]

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On Environmental Issues, ‘Wall Street Journal’ (Repeatedly) Gets It Wrong

August 4, 2012

Huffington Post Ellen Ruppel Shell, College of Communication Editorials are supposed to convey the opinions of a publication’s editorial board… View article

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