Dr Will Mason-Wilkes is Assistant Professor in Engineering, Technology, Innovation and Society at the University of Birmingham (UoB), UK. Will is interested in the intersections of and interactions between science, technology, belief, media, public(s) and democracy. His current research focus is popular and media narratives of future flight and their impacts on innovation and public attitudes. Will's work has also explored international media representations of evolutionary science and religion; citizen science and its potentially exploitative arrangements; the relative affordances of face-to-face and remote communications; and atheist and non-religious people's engagement with popular representations of science.

Previously Will was a Research Fellow in Popular Media and Culture at UoB, and prior to this he worked as a Data and Research Analyst for the Welsh Government.

Dr Will Mason-Wilkes has a background in Science and Technologies Studies (STS). His current research interests include:

• "Pop culture" and media representations of science, technology and innovation
• "Pop culture" and media influences on/drivers of innovation
• Public engagement with science, technology and innovation
• Science communication theory and practice
• Citizen science 
• Science and (non)belief in popular culture and media

• PhD Sociology, Cardiff University, 2018
• MSc Social Science Research Methods (Distinction), Cardiff University, 2013
• MA History and Philosophy of Science (Merit), University of Leeds, 2011
• BA (Joint Hons.) History and Philsophy of Science & Theology and Religious Studies (Upper Second Class), University of Leeds, 2010