WK 43 - Communicating Science, Increasing the Impact of Ecology, and #EngageESA: Tools for Ecologists

Tuesday, August 8, 2017: 11:30 AM-1:15 PM
D129-130, Oregon Convention Center
Organizer:
Emily Therese Cloyd, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Co-organizers:
Melissa A. Kenney, University of Maryland; Jeffrey S. Dukes, Purdue University; Karen R. Lips, University of Maryland; and Jessica Hellmann, University of Minnesota
A recent editorial in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment highlighted opportunities for ecologists to engage with community groups, policy makers, and other members of their communities to identify and find solutions to environmental problems (http://tinyurl.com/EngageESA). Effective scientist-communicators who foster information-sharing and respect between science and the public are essential for true public communication of and engagement with science. However, we currently have too few effective emissaries for science. Communication is typically an acquired, not innate skill; this workshop will provide resources ecologists can use to develop their public communication and outreach skills. The workshop is based on the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology’s Communicating Science Workshops, which have trained more than 4,000 scientists and engineers in communication skills (https://www.aaas.org/pes/communicating-science-workshops). Workshop participants will learn about and practice science communication fundamentals, including identifying communication goals, defining audiences, and developing messages. During the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to interact with ecologists who are incorporating science communication and public engagement into their research, teaching, and service, including recent Leshner Leadership Institute Public Engagement Fellows. Workshop participants will be encouraged to think about how they can use what they’ve learned in their own work and to identify future communication opportunities and will build their network of colleagues in ecology who are interested in science communication and public engagement.

Registration Fee: $0

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