The 2020 Communicating Science Seminar drew approximately 350 participants on Thu., Feb. 13, as part of the 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle. Archived videos of the 2020 seminar are below along with descriptions of the sessions. Read more about the 2020 Communicating Science Seminar in AAAS News.
Engaging with the Media on Science-Society Topics
AAAS
Building Community for Inclusive Public Engagement with Science
AAAS
The 2020 Communicating Science Seminar was held on Thursday, February 13, 2020 in Seattle, WA at the AAAS Annual Meeting. This annual seminar provides opportunities for scientists, science communication researchers and public engagement practitioners to discuss and share research and best practices for science communication and public engagement. The seminar is intended for participants at all levels of science communication and public engagement – from those who are just beginning to explore ways to incorporate science communication and public engagement into their work, to those who are reflecting on and refining their practices. Through panels, audience discussion and breakout sessions, seminar participants learn from one another, forge new connections and consider ways to apply what they learn in their own efforts.
At a Glance (scroll down for complete descriptions)
Engaging with the Media on Science-Society Topics
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Building Community for Inclusive Public Engagement with Science
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Breakout Sessions
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Finding a Research/Practice Partner
- Broader Impacts 101 Workshop
- Getting Credit for Public Engagement: New Incentives and Foundational Support
- Using Critique As An Assessment Tool for Science Engagement
- Science Outside the Box: Rethinking Relevance for Millennial Engagement
Complete Schedule
Engaging with the Media on Science-Society Topics
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (Washington State Convention Center, Room 6B)
Communicating about science can be a challenging endeavor, perhaps more so when discussing topics that have varied political, religious, value-based or ideological perspectives. What does communication research say about what works and what doesn’t, in the context of media engagement? Panelists with perspectives as scientists, public engagement practitioners, journalists and communication researchers share effective strategies for covering science and societal issues, and how others can learn from these successes.
Moderator:
Sara Yeo, Assistant Professor of Communication, University of Utah
Speakers:
- Robin Nabi, Professor of Media Effects and Health Communication, University of California, Santa Barbara, “The Role of Emotion in Influencing Reactions to Science News”
- Lisa Johnson, Reporter, CBC News, “Define the debate: How to say something that matters amid complex uncertainty”
- Jeffrey Duchin, Health Officer and Chief, Communicable Disease Epidemiology & Immunization, Public Health - Seattle and King County and the University of Washington, Seattle, “Communicating About Issues of Public Health Significance: Outbreaks, Immunizations and More”
Building Community for Inclusive Public Engagement with Science
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Washington State Convention Center, Room 6B)
A more diverse, equitable and inclusive scientific enterprise requires more diversity, equity and inclusion in science communication and public engagement. Those who design and lead public engagement with science initiatives have a significant opportunity to examine how existing practices contribute to exclusion and prioritize and build inclusivity into their efforts. What does it mean to broaden participation in science engagement? How can organizations prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion in public engagement? Building on existing efforts, this panel will focus on inclusive programs, practice, and language, advice for having productive conversations about diversity, and research on successful approaches to creating space and building support for marginalized voices both within and through public engagement with science efforts.
Moderator:
Sunshine Menezes, Clinical Associate Professor of Environmental Communication, University of Rhode Island Metcalfe Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting
Speakers:
- Carrie Tzou, Associate Professor of Educational Studies, University of Washington, Bothell, "Supporting Culture, Identity, and Learning in Science Education Through Equity-Focused Community Engagement"
- Mónica Ramirez-Andreotta, Assistant Professor of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, “Seeing Yourself in the Data: Knowledge/Cultural Brokers in Participatory Research”
- Rabiah Mayas, Vice President of Education and Guest Experience, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, “Supporting Equity-Oriented Practice in Pre- and Early-Career Scicomm Professionals”
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Finding a Research/Practice Partner
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Washington State Convention Center, Room 608)
This networking forum brings together science communication researchers and public engagement practitioners looking to meet one another and explore potential collaborations. Participants will have an opportunity to think through what they are looking for from a research-practice partnership and what they have to offer, and then group up by general topic interest for guided networking and discussion.
Organizers:
- Eve Klein, Institute for Learning Innovation
- Tiffany Lohwater, AAAS
- Martin Storksdieck, Oregon State University
- Broader Impacts 101 Workshop
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Washington State Convention Center, Room 609)
This workshop will discuss the National Science Foundation’s broader impacts (BI) criterion, tools for effectively addressing it in your proposal, and ways to integrate public engagement into your research. The session will be led by members of the leadership team for the NSF-funded Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS).
Organizers:
- Kevin Niemi, University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Julie Risien, Oregon State University
- Networking Session: Getting Credit for Public Engagement: New Incentives and Foundational Support
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Washington State Convention Center, Room 611)
Recognizing and supporting public engagement as a central capacity of scientific institutions can expand the pool of scientists doing public engagement and make it more sustainable for those already involved. While this sometimes requires significant changes in institutions, norms and culture, one promising lever for change is the way public engagement is credited for trainees, researchers, and staff. This discussion and networking session is intended for both researchers and administrators interested in quantifying the value of engagement; making changes in training, promotion, and performance guidelines; and developing other strategies like including public engagement in research proposals and publications.
Organizers:
- Emily Therese Cloyd, AAAS
- Allison Coffin, Washington State University Vancouver
- Using Critique As An Assessment Tool for Science Engagement
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Washington State Convention Center, Room 612)
From parade floats to pop-up retail, teams working with the Science In Vivo project are developing clever initiatives that find the science engagement angle wherever a crowd gathers. Most of these teams have great experiences, and are happy to report back on what they think they accomplished. However, once activity is underway on site, team members become so involved that they rarely have the chance to step back for perspective. To overcome this obstacle, we borrowed a tool from the arts and humanities: the third-party critique. Working with on-the-ground observers, we are now generating critiques of engagement that consider how activity fits into the bigger context, take note of other meaningful opportunities presented by a particular setting, and surface unintended implications. Join this session for a lively discussion of how and when it is appropriate to use critique to assess science engagement.
Organizer:
- Ben Wiehe, MIT Museum, Science Festival Alliance
- Science Outside the Box: Rethinking Relevance for Millennial Engagement
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Washington State Convention Center, Room 613-14)
In this session, we will share results from a unique survey of young adults (ages 18-37) that investigated their interests, motivations, and connections to science. Jen Benoit-Bryan and Peter Linett (Slover Linett) will talk about the survey process, findings and conclusions, while Geoff Hunt (LabX) will talk about how LabX is using this information to help direct its programming. A discussion on how others within the community interpret the results and how they might use the information presented for their own purposes will follow.
Organizer:
- Geoff Hunt, National Academy of Sciences