The Intergroup Dialogue Project website indicates that IDP was founded as a series of undergraduate-focused courses and resources at Cornell University (2012). By 2016, IDP had developed “the first and only graduate and postdoc dialogue program in the country.” Beyond the programs and courses IDP offers at Cornell, they provide an overview of their core tool, the LARA Method: Listen,…
In this article in Nature Biotechnology, Maximiliaan Schillebeeckx, Brett Maricque, and Cory Lewis detail: The limited availability of academic positions vs number of PhDs granted per year; What a group of PhD students and postdocs at Washington University-St. Louis are doing to expand their training and career options in light of the academic job market. Broadly, the authors call for grassroots…
In this post, Dr. Jeremy Fox shares notes from a talk by Dr. Anne Krook (former UMichigan prof, also a former Amazon, Mindbloom, and Synapse exec, and more). Krook consults with organizations and companies to better support women in the workplace. She provides free resources for students and early career professionals, including undergraduates and recent graduates, on her website. Key…
In this article from Aeon, Dr. Michela Massimi takes on the essential-yet-complex role of truth in science. Philosophical, thought-provoking, and essential reading. Lots to ponder in here about how truth gets portrayed, how perceptions of what is true change, notions of truth vs. consensus, and the implications of these nuances and fluidity for public trust in science.
In our February 2019 newsletter, we introduced our newly elected Communication & Engagement Section officers. They will join the leadership team in August 2019. Below are their responses to the elections nomination form questionnaire. Robert Newman, 2019-2020 Chair-elect Describe who you are and your interests in science communication and engagement. I am a professor in the Biology department and Fish and Wildlife…
According to Tracey L. Weissgerber, Natasa M. Milic, Stacey J. Winham, and Vesna D. Garovic, proper representation of small data sets and sample sizes allows accurate interpretation. Doing so, they assert, requires displaying continuous data. But, they write, “Most papers presented continuous data in bar and line graphs. This is problematic, as many different data distributions can lead to the same…
Excerpt from website: “Metcalf Institute webinars feature leading scientists, policy makers, and communicators in a variety of fields to help news consumers make sense of complex science and environment issues. The seminars are archived on Metcalf Institute’s YouTube channel. Metcalf Institute webinars are part of our Climate Change and the News Initiative, developed to assist journalists in covering the science and impacts of…
If you are a current Section member, please check your inbox for an email with a link to the voting form. Voting* will close on February 12, 2019. Section officer elections are key, and your vote matters. Officers: plan a lot of the annual meeting trainings, collaborate with other sections and governance committees to ensure comm & engagement topics are…
If you are a current Section member, please check your inbox for an email with a link to the voting form. Voting* will close on February 12, 2019. Section officer elections are key, and your vote matters. Officers: plan a lot of the annual meeting trainings, collaborate with other sections and governance committees to ensure comm & engagement topics are…
According to their website, Atomic Hands‘ mission is: “Atomic Hands is committed to increasing public accessibility to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through American Sign Language and fostering collaboration and networking opportunities among current and future Deaf STEMists.” Their website includes resources for communities, K-12 schools, and universities, along with ASL Stem dictionaries and more.
If you are a current Section member, please check your inbox for an email with a link to the voting form. Voting* will close on February 12, 2019. Section officer elections are key, and your vote matters. Officers: plan a lot of the annual meeting trainings, collaborate with other sections and governance committees to ensure comm & engagement topics are…
Excerpt from the source, The Open Notebook*: “Are you new to science writing? Or are you just thinking about getting into the field and wondering what it’s all about? The Open Notebook has published more than 350 articles and other resources aimed at helping science journalists sharpen their skills—and helping newcomers get started. This page contains a small subset of those…
Contribute your vision to the Communication & Engagement Section as an officer! Nominations for Chairperson-elect and Secretary are open, according to the following schedule. Jan 1-31: nomination period (Submit your self-nomination here!) Feb 1-10: voting period Feb 10: announcement of elected officers Feb. 21, 2019: deadline for ESA contributed abstracts Annual meeting: transition from current to newly elected officers Elected…
This free, online course from the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (University of Washington) addresses how to engage with limited English proficiency populations. Overview excerpted from their website: Description In emergencies, limited English proficient populations are one of our most vulnerable populations. Communicating effectively can be challenging due to language, cultural, technological, and logistical barriers. This 90-minute webinar…
Excerpt from website: “Social media effectiveness shouldn’t rely on luck. Too long have superstitious, unicorns-and-rainbows myths dominated the field. The culmination of years of research, this webinar presents a framework for reliable social media success. Watch this on-demand webinar to learn how to build your reach, engineer contagious ideas and measure your results, through data-backed, scientifically-proven best practices.”
Contribute your vision to the Communication & Engagement Section as an officer! Nominations for Chairperson-elect and Secretary are open, according to the following schedule. Jan 1-31: nomination period (Submit your self-nomination here!) Feb 1-10: voting period Feb 10: announcement of elected officers Feb. 21, 2019: deadline for ESA contributed abstracts Annual meeting: transition from current to newly elected officers Elected…
Excerpts from website: “Science Talk is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization […] It was the brainchild of a small group of science communication professionals who saw a need to gather others and help elevate science in the region.” “Each year we organize a conference where scientists, journalists, celebrities, politicians, students, and anyone who loves science can convene and share their expertise. This gathering offers…
The National Resource Conservation Service has several communication-related webinars you can watch on-demand.
This week, Marty Downs responds to the #MySciComm questions! Marty is the Deputy Director of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network Communications Office, based at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) in Santa Barbara. She manages internal and external communications for a network of over 2000 environmental scientists and 28 diverse research sites. Marty began her career…
Excerpt from website: “Dr. Raychelle Burks is an analytical chemist at St. Edwards University who develops new forensic methods for detecting drugs and explosives. She’s an active science communicator on social media, podcasts, and other popular media including the Science Channel’s Outrageous Acts of Science. Burks will discuss her successful approaches for bringing science to new audiences and how she…