The lovely folks at the University of Chicago’s Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS) Chicago Careers in Science and Technology (CCIST), will be hosting me for a special workshop this Thursday, May 10 at my Ph.D. alma mater! Read on for details, I hope to see you there!
Science for the Masses: Communicating Science to the Public, Making Science Sexy, and Taking it to the Streets (or: The Art of Science Outreach and Public Engagement)
A workshop with Stephanie Levi, Ph.D., Molecular Geneticist, Outreach and Education Specialist, and Founder of Science is Sexy and Night Lab
Science is captivating, game-changing, and constantly innovating our world while helping us learn about our universe, and ourselves. As scientists, we know the thrill of getting that elusive positive result that makes our story come together, the excitement of discovery, and the beauty of the natural world, but the public doesn’t always have the opportunity to share in the scientific ride. More than ever, the need for scientists to reach out to the public to engage them in the wonder and impact of science is critical. Granting agencies are requiring that funded individuals perform broader-impacts work to disseminate their work to the public, and the voting public needs to know what’s going on at your bench to vote wisely in support of funding for science and keep the funds flowing in, for starters! While numerous programs exist to engage youth in science and mathematics, there are surprisingly few that engage the adult public – but the interest and curiosity of adults for scientific information is immense.
Fortunately, a world of science outreach and communication has exploded in the last few years. As a scientist, you are in a unique position to give the masses what they want, but some skills and techniques are needed to get you started. Join Stephanie Levi, Ph.D. ’09, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, for a workshop about science outreach and engagement. She’ll talk about how she started her fun and successful outreach program, Science is Sexy, while a graduate student at the U of C studying the secret life of the Golgi, and she’ll share with you a vast toolkit of outreach strategies to help you get started on an outreach career, regardless of how much or little time you can invest at this point. She’ll also talk about her path from the bench to running an outreach program for undergraduates at the Midwest’s only four-year Hispanic Serving Institution, to adventures in the non-profit sector, as well as her forays into journalism. You’ll leave the workshop with an outreach starter packet, and lots of great ideas. Whether you plan to stay in academia for life, or want to make the leap into an outreach career, this workshop is for you.
Date: Thursday, May 10th
Time: 5 -6:30 pm CT
Location: Ida Noyes Hall, East Lounge on the second floor (1212 E. 59th St. Chicago, Illinois 60637 )
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