Why communicate science? 

Science is often funded by taxpayer dollars, including my research in Glacier Bay National Park. We, as scientists, therefore have a obligation to share our science with the public - and share it in a way that they understand. Too often we only communicate our ideas and findings with other scientists, and we exist in a science bubble where we can say things like "statistically significant" and "reject the null hypothesis" and get away with it. The truth is, the vast majority of people are not scientists, but in many cases are equally as impacted (and sometimes disproportionately impacted) by phenomena and patterns that science seeks to understand. This is why science communication is important to me.

My experiences

When I decided to get involved with science communication I dove headfirst. I said yes to every public speaking engagement that came my way, enrolled in a science communication fellowship program with the Pacific Science Center, and took a science communication class taught jointly by a professor of fisheries science and two stand up comedians. Here are my experiences: 
  • July 2017, Gustavus, AK: co-authored a blog post for Glacier Bay National Park with park biologist Tania Lewis 
  • January 2018, Gustavus, AK: co-authored a blog post for Glacier Bay National Park with park biologist Tania Lewis 
  • March 2018, Anchorage, AK: spoke at the Alaska Chapter of the Wildlife Society and Northwest Section of the Wildlife Society 2018 Joint Annual Meeting
  • March 2018, Anchorage, AK: invited to speak at a Women in Science Fundraiser for Ciencia Puerto Rico hosted by 500 Women Scientists Alaska Pod 
  • August 2018, Gustavus, AK: spoke at a community event about my research in Glacier Bay and bear safety/coexistence 
  • February 2019, Grand Mound, WA: spoke at the Joint WA TWS SNVB and NW PARC Conference
  • February 2019, Seattle, WA: invited to speak at the School of Aquatic and Fishery Science Quantitative Seminar at the University of Washington
  • February 2019, Seattle, WA: awarded a partial scholarship to participate in the Pacific Science Center Science Communication Fellowship Program
  • March 2019, Seattle, WA: spoke at the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences Graduate Student Symposium at the University of Washington
  • April 2019, Seattle, WA: received a full scholarship to attend the COMPASS Introduction to Science Communication Workshop
  • May 2019, Seattle, WA: invited to guest lecture for the University of Washington course "Biology and Conservation of Mammals" 
  • May 2019, Seattle, WA: invited to speak to the St. Thomas School about my research ahead of their Science Expo event
  • June 2019, Washington, DC: spoke at the 99th Annual Meeting and Centennial Celebration of the American Society of Mammalogists
  • June 2019, Gustavus, AK: invited to speak about my research at Glacier Bay National Park headquarters
  • August 2019, Seattle, WA: invited to speak about my research at Aegis Living - Senior Assisted Living and Memory Care 
  • October 2019, Seattle, WA: invited to speak about my research as the scientist lead for the introductory meeting of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture's Girls in Science program 
  • February 2020, Seattle, WA: spoke about burrowing mammals to guests of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture NiteLife event
  • February 2020, Seattle, WA: represented the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the "For the Love of the Northwest" fundraiser for the Puget Sound chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers
  • March 2020, Online: wrote an article for Pretty Smart Science about a new study published in Science on what really killed the dinosaurs - an asteroid impact or volcanism. 
  • May 2020, Online: invited to participate in the inaugural Meet a Scientist Facebook Live event hosted by the Pacific Science Center. 
  • May 2020, Online: participated in an "Ask a Scientist" Facebook Live event hosted by the Asheville Museum of Science.
  • July 2020: Invited to join the Breaching Extinction podcast as the Twitter and newsletter manager.