Sharon died Feb. 4, 2022. 

Dunwoody dedicated her career to science communication. 

She was a professor emerita of journalism and mass communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, retiring in 2013 after more than 30 years of teaching science journalism and communication.

During her career, Dunwoody received numerous awards, including the Paul J. Deutschmann Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She was the first woman to receive the award.

She was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research and the Society for Risk Analysis.

She served twice as head of the AAAS section on General Interest in Science and Technology. She was president of both MAPOR and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Dunwoody was named a Fellow of the International Communication Association in 2017.

She served as a Fulbright Distinguished Lecturer in Brazil, as a visiting journalism fellow at Deakin University in Australia and as Donnier Guest Professor at Stockholm University. 

In 2014, Dunwoody received The Media School's Distinguished Alumni Award.