Author: Kitty Gifford

 

Faced with a global pandemic, now more than ever the world needs people prepared to engage the public in a two-way conversation about scientific issues. Two students from the Class of 2020, who graduated from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), are entering the next chapter of their lives armed with these skills thanks to the new Science Communication and Public Engagement (SCoPE) minor at Cornell.

The SCoPE minor was officially announced in January 2020, and Benjamin Njila Fields ’20 and Serena Stern ’20 were the first two students to graduate with that degree.

As a double major in Development Sociology and Global and Public Health Sciences, Fields also participated in the Global Citizenship and Sustainability Program. He studied abroad in Zambia to learn more about global health issues, and he added the SCoPE minor to learn more effective ways to share his sociological observations with those outside his field of research.

“[The minor] allowed me to understand research more comprehensively, as I must be able to articulate very complex concepts in a friendly and easy manner,” Fields said.

Fields began a Ph.D. program in sociology and demography at the University of California, Berkeley this Fall. He plans to keep his science communication skills sharp by blogging, writing news articles and becoming more active on social media.

Stern noted that when she first came to Cornell she knew she cared about communicating science but didn’t know how to apply that interest. By taking all the “cool courses” she could fit into her schedule, a pattern emerged of applying her interests toward helping people. These small, experimental courses gave her the freedom to try out new things without having to invest the resources that would be required in a full course.

For example, through Community-Based Cancer Research Presentations and Discussions (BIOMS 5665), Stern and fellow students met and interacted with cancer patients and developed skills in communicating science to the public. The small course environment fostered close friendships, broadened her connections in the community, and led to a volunteer project with the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes, mentioned Stern.

After graduation, Stern decided to stay in Ithaca and continue her work at Cayuga Medical Center supporting a new initiative implementing person-centered care, guided by the certifying organization, Planetree International. Person-centered care prioritizes the active participation of patients and their families throughout the healthcare process.

To prospective students and current undergraduates, Stern implored, “Don’t be afraid to let yourself shift and grow. Also, take as many one-and-two-credit courses as you can. They are where I applied so much of my SCoPE knowledge. Using Cornell’s extensive resources, I’ve worked with birds, agriculture, environment, older adults, literature, healthcare and basic research. I wouldn’t have found many areas I love without those smaller courses.”

Stern and Fields are just two of many students who think that the skills taught as part of the SCoPE minor are essential for supplementing their other degrees. In a Cornell-wide survey of nearly 400 students, 75% said that having this minor on their diploma would enhance their prospects for professional opportunities.

“It’s important that science communication became integrated into the undergraduate curriculum,” said Mark Sarvary, Ph.D. ’06, senior lecturer in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior and faculty adviser for the program. “This is the first time that Cornell has awarded bachelor’s degrees showing students gaining expertise in this field.”

The SCoPE minor is an interdisciplinary effort, and it incorporates classes from across the university. Undergraduates can gain specific expertise related to science policy, ethics, information literacy, communication skills and community engagement.

“It’s really great to see these students continuing Cornell’s legacy in science communication,” said Bruce Lewenstein, professor of science communication.

An advisor to the minor, Lewenstein has taught science communication at Cornell since 1988.

“From Anna Botsford Comstock to Carl Sagan and beyond, we have a tradition of Cornell faculty supporting science communication,” Lewenstein said. “We have students who have gone on to notable science communication careers, such as Jane Brody (CALS ’62), Bill Nye (Engineering ’77) and Nicholas St. Fleur (CALS ’13).”

The minor, hosted in CALS and open to all Cornell undergraduates, creates a network of instructors, students and community partners interested in both science communication and public engagement. Learn more about the minor here on our website, scicomm.cornell.edu, or email scicomm@cornell.edu.

By Kitty Gifford

Undergraduates can now apply for the new Science Communication and Public Engagement (SCoPE) minor, designed to prepare students to be socially engaged scientists and to make science communication a foundation of a STEM education.

Supported by a grant from the Office of Engagement Initiatives, the minor is hosted by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and open to all Cornell undergraduates. The SCoPE minor consists of 18 credit hours, separate from the eight science and/or engineering credits students will take for their STEM major.

Mark Sarvary, Ph.D. ’06, senior lecturer in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, is faculty adviser for the program after spending two years working with an intercollege steering committee to draft the curriculum. Other program leaders are:

• Bruce Lewenstein, professor and chair of the Department of Science and Technology Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, and professor of science communication in CALS; and
• Cole Gilbert, entomology professor and the Hays and James M. Clark Director of Undergraduate Biology.

“Today’s undergraduates are different from those of 15 years ago. Now they conduct experiments and publish in peer-reviewed journals,” Sarvary said. “Learning how to communicate science at the same time you are doing science is the next step.”

Development of the new minor was one of 25 programs that benefited from $1.3 million in Engaged Curriculum Grants, announced in August.

“This effort reinforces the importance of communicating and engaging in science across all subjects and professional sectors,” said Don Viands, senior associate dean for CALS Academic Programs. “With an emphasis on public engagement, this minor aligns perfectly with Cornell CALS’ commitment to developing the next generation of global citizens.”

In a 2018 survey of undergraduates to assess interest in the minor, 93% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that it was important to receive training in how to communicate science to non-expert audiences.

Potential community partners have expressed interest in working with undergraduates who are receiving training in science communication. These collaborations will provide real-world opportunities for students to apply their public engagement skills.

“Locally, the Sciencenter and the Museum of the Earth are both national models of science communication with strong ties to Cornell,” Lewenstein said. “This minor builds on Cornell’s long history of leadership in science communication, from Anna Botsford Comstock’s natural history images to Carl Sagan’s ‘Ship of the Imagination’ taking us into the cosmos.”

As part of the minor, students will learn about the role of communication in environmental issues, medicine, public health and scientific research. They will also take courses relating to ethics, research methods, public engagement and scientific literacy.

“Our civilization is wholly dependent on science and high technology. Too few of us understand anything about either. In a society that aspires to be democratic, this is nothing less than a recipe for disaster,” said Ann Druyan, Emmy-award winning director, producer and writer of the series “Cosmos: Possible Worlds,” and wife of the late Cornell astrophysicist, Carl Sagan.

“Science communication is the critical missing component that has the promise to engage and inspire the public,” said Druyan, who is also on the science board at Cornell’s Carl Sagan Institute. “Carl, consummate scientist and peerless communicator, opened the way. It’s fitting that Cornell University is assuming a leadership role by offering a minor in this vital field.”

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News courtesy of the Cornell Chronicle.

 

On Friday, March 6 there will be a panel discussion, “Opportunities for Public Communication of Science,” featuring panelists from Cornell and the community.

The session runs from 4:30-7:30pm and is open to the public.

Speakers (TBD)

Held in Plant Sciences 143 on the Cornell University campus, includes pizza and veggies to follow the panel. Come interact with the panelists to answer your questions!

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This program is  part of Comm 5660, Science Communication Workshop, taught by Bruce Lewenstein. This weekend workshop, March 7-8 (for enrollees only), trains researchers in the sciences (including natural sciences, engineering, experimental social sciences, etc.) to communicate effectively with nonscientists such as policy makers, political stakeholders, the media, and the general public. Training activities may include role-play, mini lectures, reading/discussion, hands-on writing blog posts and other outreach materials, real-time practice being interviewed for the media, and discussion with invited speakers. More info and how to enroll in the weekend workshop here.

By Anil Oza

Although scientists constantly push the boundaries of human knowledge, the fruits of research are often limited to the narrow confines of a laboratory.

This semester, Cornell will establish a new minor that aims to break down the divide between science and the general public. The new minor, called “science communication and public engagement,” hopes to educate STEM students in communication methods for their specific audiences. Read more New Minor in Science Communication Promotes Community Engagement

Join us for food and information about the brand new Science Communication and Public Engagement undergraduate minor on January 31, 2020 at 12:30 pm. We will be there to answer any questions!

Please RSVP so we know how many people are coming for lunch! We will email you the location.

RSVP