Recognition of important work matters. Since our inception, the Communication and Engagement Section has intended to offer awards to recognize the intellectual, scientific, and civic contributions made by ESA members active in public engagement and science communication. For years, our section has worked toward being able to put money, and the credibility of a professional society, into our efforts to…
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The How We Respond project launched from AAAS includes a report and multimedia stories that highlight the ways U.S. communities are actively and effectively responding to climate change, in particular at the local, state and regional levels, and the critical role of science and scientists in their response. Section members Emily Cloyd (AAAS) and Kika Tuff (Impact Media Lab; former C&E…
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Last year, we featured two #MySciComm posts by co-founders of Plant Love Stories, and at #ESA2018, we hosted Plant Love Stories at our booth at the Annual Meeting. Now, we’re highlighting a related publication informed by that project: a commentary in the journal Plants, People, Planet (published by the New Phytologist Trust). They write: We have a duty to conserve plants…
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Jennifer Landin, a scientific illustrator and NC State professor, has launched an online group focused on research on the use of visuals/art in science education. She aims to connect and create a community across the art, communication, science, and education fields. VASE (Visual Arts in Science Education), with the goals of: 1) sharing ideas among researchers and practitioners in an…
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…
NOAA has archived a webinar focused on visual communication of research results.
A thought-provoking take on the synergy between activism and technical proficiency from theoretical physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein. Spoiler alert, she writes, “While often necessary, [activism] is not a substitute for technical proficiency. Dr. Prescod-Weinstein is an American cosmologist, science writer and equality activist based at the University of New Hampshire. In addition to major work with NASA, FQXI and more, she maintains…
In recognition of #NationalIndigenousPeoplesDay, we’re sharing this Decolonising STEM Reading List from theoretical physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein provides a powerful, necessary deep-look into the history and current practices of science and the relationship of science to oppression, colonialism, and more. Dr. Prescod-Weinstein recommends starting your reading with “Making Meaning of ‘Decolonizing’” to fully understand the context in which she situates her…
It is Pride Month! Here are a few resources on representation, inclusion, and intersectionality with science. Stay tuned for more in our Resource of the Week series*, as the month progresses. As always, we’d love to hear your recommendations on additional resources to share in the series. LGBTQ+ STEM DAY “LGBTQ+ people in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) continue…
This week, Kirsten Schwarz (the C&E Section incoming Chairperson) responds to the #MySciComm questions! Kirsten Schwarz is an urban ecologist studying environmental amenities and hazards in cities. Community engagement, social justice, and equity are central themes of her research. She has addressed community-level food insecurity and soil contamination in underserved neighborhoods of Sacramento, CA and the environmental drivers of soil lead…
According to their website, “myIDP provides: Exercises to help you examine your skills, interests, and values A list of 20 scientific career paths with a prediction of which ones best fit your skills and interests A tool for setting strategic goals for the coming year, with optional reminders to keep you on track Articles and resources to guide you…
This week, Sarah Schneider (of ESA’s Editorial Office/publications) responds to the #MySciComm questions! We’re delighted to share her story with you, as it is a window into a type of SciComm career that is pivotal to how we do science. Sarah Schneider has worked for the Publications Office of the Ecological Society of America since 2013. These days, she works primarily…
A thought-provoking piece in Facets. What do you think?
Carolyn Trietsch writes in Science about the significant role that regular craft-making has assumed in her entomology department at Pennsylvania State University-University Park. The article points to valuable benefits including transdisciplinary collaborations and networking across labs, art-based science communication and outreach, and entomological collections curation.
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…
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.
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…
Planning on teaching a course about scientific writing next semester? But, you haven’t finalized your syllabus yet? Ecologist Stephen Heard (@scientistseessquirrel) invites you to use his scientific writing course syllabus! He also wrote a book – The Scientist’s Guide to Writing – that is a useful companion to the syllabus.
This week, Tatiana Eaves responds to the #MySciComm questions! Tatiana is a biologist, photographer, and freelance science writer living in the Washington D.C. metro area. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology, with a concentration on ecology and evolution, from Appalachian State University and minored in Geographic Information Systems. She currently writes for Ricochet Science and the Ecological Society of…