Steve Kortenkamp is a professor in the University of Arizona Department of Planetary Science. Although some of his research focuses on orbital dynamics of asteroids and comets, he’s also researching science education for people with disabilities. As a part of that research, Kortenkamp has helped create hundreds of 3D printed models of structures related to…
Brenda Huettner
When Brenda Huettner was little, her great aunt Sissy taught her how to crochet, among other things, and so Huettner’s always loved doing artistic things. Much of her career was as a technical writer, and now that she’s retired, she’s continued participating in science-related activities by becoming a NASA Solar System Ambassador. Her work, Temperature…
Jason Davis
Jason Davis came from a non-science, non-writing background, but eventually earned a master’s degree in journalism with a specialty in science and digital publications. Now, Davis works full time as the editorial director for The Planetary Society, the world’s largest non-profit space advocacy group. Among his notable works are Desert Moon, a documentary voiced by…
Ann Marcus Lapidus
Ann Lapidus grew up exploring the art museums of Washington, D.C. When she was little, she remembers her mother rolling out shelving paper in the basement and letting her paint for hours. Although Lapidus continued creating art through high school, when college came around, she first chose to study art history. Eventually she received her…
Meg Weesner
Meg Weesner’s undergraduate degree was in journalism. After graduating, she got a job as a lifeguard at the Grand Canyon National Recreation Area. She worked her way up the National Park Service ranks from the bottom, through interpreter and volunteer positions, during which time she earned a graduate degree in wildland recreation management. Eventually, she…
Mikayla Mace
Mikayla Mace is a science writer for the University of Arizona. After attaining a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science in 2015, she went on to earn a master’s in Journalism at the UArizona. At the time of this interview, Mace was a writer for the Arizona Daily Star, where she covered science, health…
Rose Gulledge
As a kid, Rose Gulledge loved the beach—not to go in, but to collect critters. In college, Gulledge took a hodgepodge of courses in the sphere of biology. Her master’s degree is in marine, earth and atmospheric sciences, with a concentration in biological oceanography. Her main research focuses have been phytoplankton and isotopic changes in…
Erika Gardner
Before being hired at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Erika Gardner was a biology student. During her undergraduate career, she realized that she was more interested in plants than in medicine, or any other part of biology. After spending some time interning in an herbarium, Gardner earned a master’s degree in botany from…
Cultural Cognition Thesis
The deficit, dialogue and participation models have continuously faced off with the challenge of accommodating a plethora of complex variables that shape public belief. It’s clear that different groups within the public have differing levels of trust in experts. Take for example the Chernobyl farmers’ refusal to leave the contaminated area as described in the…
The Participation Model
Consider the dialogue model of science communication, in which the public takes a larger role in the discussion of scientific research. The participation model takes the next step, by allowing the public not only to provide feedback and perspective, but also to participate in research as the equals of scientists and mediators. Much more so…
Speaking Science-ese 