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Scicomm

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Resource of the Week: Teaching Science Communication

    C&E Section leadership co-facilitated a discussion around teaching science communication as part of ESA’s Water Cooler series. Follow this link for a list of valuable resources.        

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Resource of the Week: We Rep STEM + Juneteenth

We Rep STEM “believe[s] science is for everyone and […]want to celebrate everyone in the field — NOT just the loudest people in the room. This website aims to celebrate STEM minorites — people of colour, professionals with disabilites, members of the LGBTQ community, Indigenous researchers, women of all races, scientists in niche areas of expertise — and everyone in between.”…

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Yellow background. IMage of a raised, black fist at left of image. Test reads: Black Lives Matter. Science. Technology. Engineering. Math.

Black Lives Matter (first posted 6/3/2020)

This statement was first distributed to our members via our monthly newsletter, issued 3 June 2020. We are posting it here for posterity, and to hold ourselves accountable to continued efforts toward justice and equality in the spheres we have influence. Dear Section Members & Friends, We write to you today in solidarity with and affirmation of our fellow Black…

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Resource of the Week: Utilizing Social Media in the Classroom

LSU’s Science Communication Specialist, Dr. Paige Jarreau, shares advice about using social media in the classroom. Excerpt: “In college classrooms, faculty of all fields try to find new ways to engage students and help them gain more experience communicating in the science world. Some of them turn to social media. Science Communication Specialist for LSU College of Science Dr. Paige Jarreau utilizes…

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image of palm of a person's hand, with light refracting across the palm in a "rainbow beam." Text overtop the image reads "Now accepting submissions. Communicating Science. A new section in the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America."

Member Highlight: New Publishing opportunity as The Bulletin of ESA launches “Communicating Science” section

Effective November 2018, The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America will accept submissions for consideration in a new section dedicated to Communicating Science. All articles published in the series are free to publish and freely available via open access. This new space in the journal provides ESA members interested in communication and engagement a platform for publishing articles on…

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Member Highlight: New Articles on Role of National Parks in History of Ecology & More

New Web Articles on National Parks in the History of Science National parks in the United States have hosted some of the most significant and influential research projects in ecology and other fields. Many of those studies have launched new lines of inquiry, revealed new taxa, informed foundational ideas in a variety of disciplines, provided “real-world” complements to laboratory studies,…

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Resource of the Week: Webinars from Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting

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…

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Resource of the Week: Science Talk (an organization, conference, blog & more)

  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…

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Resource of the Week: Dr. Raychelle Burks’ #InclusiveSciComm keynote address

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…

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Resource of the Week: The Dangers Of Hidden Jargon In Communicating Science

Image: screenshot from the article Excerpt from the article: “…the most dangerous kind of jargon isn’t the kind we notice. It’s the kind that slips by. When technical definitions hide behind words we use in everyday speech, the opportunities for miscommunication abound. The expert thinks she has been clear; the recipient thinks he has understood. And yet, both could be…

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Resource of the Week: “This article won’t change your mind and the facts on why facts alone can’t fight false beliefs”

Image: screenshot from the article Listen to the audio version This article delves into scientific explanations for the truth in this quotation (in the article): “A man with a conviction is a hard man to change,” [Leon] Festinger, Henry Riecken, and Stanley Schacter wrote in When Prophecy Fails, their 1957 book about this study. “Tell him you disagree and he turns away….

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#MySciComm: You’re gonna need a bigger online outreach strategy: How Dr. David Shiffman uses social media to teach the world about sharks

This week, Dr. David Shiffman responds to the #MySciComm questions!  *Editor’s note: David is available Wednesday, August 29, 2018 (the date of publication) to answer questions you may have about what it’s like to be a science communicator, how he got into it, and sharks, of course! Connect with him in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook (use #MySciComm so…

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Photo of a cream-colored mushroom growing out of bright green earth. There is a backlight/halo effect around the top of the mushroom. The text reads: Create Something. Nominate yourself for office: Chairperson-Elect or Secretary! bit.ly/BeAnOfficer. #ESASciComm | #EngageESA.

Wanted: You! Nominations now open for 2018-2020 chair-elect position

(Photo by Bethann Garramon Merkle, ©2018) As we mentioned in the April newsletter, nominations are now open for the next Communication and Engagement Section chairperson-elect. If you are looking for a way to enhance your scicomm skills while contributing to others’, this is a fantastic opportunity. It’s also a great way to learn more about how ESA governance works, at multiple…

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A line of colored pencils, one in each of the common colors on the rainbow spectrum. Text on the image reads "#MySciComm in 2018."

MySciComm: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Welcome to the 2018 #MySciComm Series! We’re excited to kick off the new year by celebrating what the #MySciComm Series became in 2017. We launched in February 2017, and were able to feature 27 publicly engaged scientists and science communicators. Their back stories celebrated and talked candidly about the diverse entry points and skill sets that epitomize scicomm and public engagement…

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Resource of the Week: SciComm Training Resources from SciFund Challenge

Excerpt from the SciFund classes web page detailing the free and not-free options they offer: “Interested in getting ahead in your scientific career? Interested in engaging the wider world with your research? Better communication is the key for both and SciFund Challenge has the classes that can help you to achieve your goals. SciFund Challenge is the communications department that…

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#MySciComm: Annaliese Hettinger on loss, childhood, and finding meaning in scicomm

This week, ESA SciComm Section Secretary, Annaliese Hettinger, responds to the #MySciComm questions! Photo courtesy of Annaliese Hettinger Annaliese Hettinger is a marine ecologist and science communicator based at Oregon State University. She holds a PhD in Ecology from the University of California, Davis. Annaliese serves as a Science Communication Fellow at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. She is also the Communications Officer…

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#MySciComm: Megan Litwhiler on museums as a stepping stone to scicomm

This week, Megan Litwhiler responds to the #MySciComm questions! Megan is a scientist turned science communicator. After finishing her PhD in bird ecology, and a brief stint at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum, Megan moved on to her current role as a Research Communications Associate at the Museum of Science in Boston. When she’s not science communicating, she’s hanging with her daughter or birding…

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#MySciComm: Bethann Garramon Merkle on merging art and science to enhance scicomm

This week, Bethann Garramon Merkle responds to the #MySciComm questions! Bethann is an artist, writer, instructor, editor, and consultant who blends visual storytelling and science communication. She’s also a SciComm Section co-founder, the section chair-elect, and our webmaster. She is passionate about a) integrating drawing into education, research, and communication efforts, and b) the role stories play in shaping public…

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