Science Communication

Science communication and public scholarship are vital aspects of scientific integrity. A significant portion of America's scientific research is funded using taxpayer money, so as scientists, it is our professional and civic duty to share our hard-earned knowledge with the public.

I began dabbling in science writing when I was an undergraduate, but as a graduate student in 2018, the need for effective, relevant scientific communication feels particularly dire. I have therefore begun developing these skills more earnestly and professionally.

Below, I have compiled my #scicomm experiences that feel most noteworthy, useful, and meaningful.

Pacific Science Center Science Communication Fellowship

Learning how to design an effective outreach activity from Christina, a recent UW Pharmacology graduate who also volunteers at the Pacific Science Center!

I was selected to join the call 2018 cohort of the Pacific Science Center’s Science Communication Fellowship. The focal point of this fellowship is an 8-week Science Communication Course that helps fellows strengthen their science communication skills, design outreach activities, and facilitate conversations with the public. The program culminates in each participant designing an outreach activity relevant to their current work, which is presented at weekly Meet a Scientist events.

https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/fellowship/

PacSci’s Science Communication Fellowship is a mix of lectures, hands-on activities, and breakout group sessions.

Meet a Scientist

My capstone project for the Pacific Science Center Science Communication Fellowship involved was designed to showcase my research! I made an all-ages activity that illustrates how the mitochondrial calcium uniporter complex signals within the cell.

ComSciCon-PNW 2018

In the spring of 2018, I was privileged to participate in this two-day, intensive program that strengthens graduate students’ scientific communication and public outreach skills through workshops led by communication professionals. This experience showed me the many applications of science communication and inspired me to begin volunteering at the Pacific Science Center.

https://comscicon.com/about

Science Writing, Selected Samples

The Tufts Daily (2011 - 2013)

The Tufts Daily was my stomping ground for most of my time at Tufts (including a marathon year-long stint as the head of the Arts Section!). Though I mostly contributed to the Arts Section, I loved the long-form format of the Features section, and I was a columnist in my junior year with a weekly multimedia column about the intersection of food and culture. Writing for the Tufts Daily gave me my first taste of "science writing," even if my chosen topics generally occupied a hazy territory between culture and science.

The Roaming Fork (Selected as Best Multimedia Column of spring, 2013):

Features Weekender (Selected as Article of the Week in October, 2012):

https://tuftsdaily.com/arts/2012/10/04/weekender-talking-drugs-with-the-king-of-psychedelia/

Editorial Assistant, PAGAN KENNEDY (2012 - 2013)

My work for Pagan Kennedy centered on helping her conduct research, identify interview subjects, and complete transcriptions for her New York Times Magazine column, "Who Made That?" Several columns that I helped with are listed below. Each column focused on one creation or innovation that most of us take for granted. The following columns, for example, feature subway signage, sugar cubes, Pantone chips, emoticons, and universal product codes (UPCs).

Editorial Assistant, ETHAN GILSDORF (2013 - 2015)

Freelance writer Ethan Gilsdorf's beat includes culture, science, geek culture, and invention. I primarily transcribed and edited interviews for him, including interviews used in the articles below.