Manifesto of a passionate chemistry PhD student, tired of having to fight prejudices when introducing herself.
Silver Microscope Photo: Alexandra Gelle
Why We Need to Humanize Chemists, and All Scientists
Alexandra Gellé, UCS Science Network, UCS
September 11, 2018 10:02 AM EDT
Participants arrive at science communication and advocacy workshop (Photo credit: T. Campbell)
Op-Eds for Cheeseheads: Training New Scientists as Communicators in Wisconsin Food Systems Policy
Greta Landis, UCS Science Network, UCS
September 4, 2018 2:03 PM EDT
“Facts aren’t impartial. They have great implications for people. They threaten people.” A few dozen graduate students and handful of public employees and farmers in the room nod thoughtfully over Margaret’s comment, laughing as she says, “It has never been a rational world!” On a June afternoon at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this group is looking to a panel of experts on science communication and advocacy with big questions: how should new scientists start public communication, and where do they have leverage in food systems policy?
The Sociopolitical Evolution of a Scientist: Incorporating Advocacy into My Graduate School Experience
Alex Hruska, UCS Science Network, UCS
August 31, 2018 9:19 AM EDT
During September of 2016, I was excited to begin my bioengineering master’s program in Boston, home to the world’s largest community of biomedical researchers. But on November 8th, the US political landscape abruptly transformed, and suddenly my research studying how cancer spreads throughout the body felt microscopic. The aftermath of the 2016 election forced me to examine my identity; I saw how the wave of anti-LGBT rhetoric and violence left my community feeling unsafe. Raised by a family of immigrants, I saw my lab mate barred from entering the country after visiting her family in Iran. And as a scientist, I saw how the spread of misinformation caused public distrust in science, permeating our highest levels of government. Read more >
Photo: Laura Hamilton
Bringing Communication Back Into Science: Incentivizing #scicomm Efforts for Early Career Scientists
Stephanie Hamilton, UCS Science Network, UCS
August 22, 2018 9:35 AM EDT
About 10% of STEM PhD students ultimately go on to secure a coveted tenured position at a university. That is a discouraging statistic for those keen on an academic career track, especially considering that the overall number of new PhDs per year far outpaces the number of new faculty jobs per year. Read more >
So, What Does the Endangered Species Act Mean to Me?
Cody Ernst-Brock, UCS Science Network, UCS
May 9, 2018 4:39 PM EDT
I was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, a land of extremes. Temperatures could drop below -50ᵒ Fahrenheit in the winter and the darkness would seem to stretch out endlessly, while the summers provided radiant sunshine for months that infused a sense of magic into our town. Certainly, for me, the most charmed experiences from my childhood all happened in the Alaskan wilderness. Read more >
