2022 ESA Annual Meeting (August 14 - 19)

INS 9 Are we there yet? The long road to effective science communication and engagement

8:00 AM-9:30 AM
520A
Organizer:
Elizabeth Cook
Co-Organizer:
Katherine Hannibal, Elizabeth Cook
Moderator:
Katherine Hannibal
Strong communication skills are critical to advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating how science is relevant and important to a variety of stakeholders, decision-makers, and community members. Effective science communication and engagement requires humility, honesty, patience, and a willingness to develop skilled communication practices and meaningful relationships with the audience. A lack of formal science communication training leads many to unfortunate mis-steps in which they miscommunicate their work or misunderstand the background, interest, or values of their audience.

The goal of this session is to share best practices in science communication and engagement gleaned from experiences failing-forward and recovering from science communication mis-steps. Speakers will offer stories from diverse disciplinary perspectives and communicate through various mediums including social media, presentations, and discussions. Speakers will highlight lessons learned engaging educators, resource managers, decision makers, public community members, and marginalized scientific communities (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOIC), first-generation, disabled, LGBTQIA+, undocumented, etc.) through building relationships and storytelling. The final talk will present a framework that articulates actionable recommendations for setting science communication goals and leveraging the power of stories, shared values, and experiences to be effective science communicators. The final portion of the INSPIRE session will be continuing a facilitated discussion among the panelists and audience on best practices in science communication and engagement.
8:00 AM
Integrating science communication and engagement into graduate education
Meghan Zulian, Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis;
8:00 AM
Sharing values, goals, and stories for an evidence-based approach to making science matter
Bethann Garramon Merkle, University of Wyoming;Evelyn Valdez-Ward, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine;Priya Shukla, Bodega Marine Laboratory / Department of Environmental Science & Policy, UC Davis;Skylar Bayer, NOAA;
8:00 AM
Sometimes what you think is an end is only a beginning: effective stakeholder engagement requires an enduring relationship
Priya Shukla, Bodega Marine Laboratory / Department of Environmental Science & Policy, UC Davis;
8:00 AM
Ways of knowing, ways of sharing: Lessons from communicating science in national parks
Catherine Schmitt, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park;