Sir Mark Walport said it best: “Science is not finished until it is communicated.” Michigan State University is one of the academic world’s epicenters for scientific research and innovation. With the great responsibility of such scientific advancement comes the necessity to communicate it with the greater population. This is more important than ever, especially in today’s ever-changing medical and political climate. In an effort to connect students with leaders in the science communication field and develop effective communication skills, MSU SciComm will be hosting a virtual SciComm Conference, "Conveyance", on March 20th and 21st, 2021
Workshop and speakers at Conveyance will encompass MSU SciComm’s three main methods of communicating science to the public: art, policy, and literature. Featured science artists include Dr. Semarhy Quiñones, Kelly Stanford, and the MSU Broad Art Museum. Dr. Quiñones is an accomplished women in STEM coloring book author-illustrator and bacterial geneticist at California State University. Kelly Stanford is a science communicator and world-renown artist from the University of Hull. We are also excited for the opportunity to virtually tour the Broad Art Museum with one of their curators, Michelle Word.
We have also partnered with the Union of Concerned Scientists to host several talks on science policy including the convergence of science, advocacy, and equity in the nuclear space as well as the use of storytelling to effectively communicate science policy.
Finally, a hallmark of our conference will be the great number of workshops to help students develop their skills as science communicators. We will be hosting workshops on how to pitch an effective op-ed, how to create effective graphics, how to start your own science podcast, and many more! Other noteworthy presenters include Dr. Félix E. Rivera-Mariani of Vistazo a la Ciencia, Dr. Alexandra Colón-Rodríguez of STEAM100X35, Jeremy Whiting of Impact 89FM, and Shamira Sanghrajka of 1 Million Women in STEM.
At the end of each day of the conference, there will also be an opportunity to socialize and network with other conference participants. Activities include science trivia and a “Sip and Paint” interactive art event. This conference will be as fun as it is informative and you will not want to miss out on it! Admission is free and tickets can be reserved at msuscicomm.org/conveyance.