ComSciCon-Houston 2025

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Are you interested in science communication? ComSciCon Houston is Texas’s only chapter of ComSciCon, a science communication conference for graduate students, postdocs, and research assistants.

ComSciCon Houston 2025 focuses on Bridging Disciplines in science communication. The conference will feature expert panels, workshops, a keynote address, plenty of networking opportunities, and a Create-a-Thon, where participants share their own science communication pieces to receive both peer and expert feedback.

Attendance is completely free, but all participants must apply!

Invited Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Andy Bell

Andy Bell, CEO of Thinkery, is a STEAM education advocate & thought leader who has spent his career building and leading programs that improve student outcomes through engaging, hands-on learning. As Director of Innovation at LEGO Education, he shaped products and experiences that inspired creativity in children across the globe through play-based learning. More recently Andy led the Academic Business Group for National Instruments, driving significant improvement in student engagement and success through project-based learning. Prior to becoming CEO, Andy served on Thinkery’s Board of Directors for three years; he and his family have been enthusiastic Members of Thinkery since their first daughter was born. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and a certificate in integrative STEM Education from Virginia Tech. Andy enjoys live music, traveling to new places and spending time with his wife and two daughters.

Visual Design Skills Workshop: Ashley Monahan, PhD

Ashley Monahan, PhD, is a scientist, writer, artist, and educator with a passion for making complex scientific concepts accessible to all. She obtained her BS in Biology from Texas A&M and her PhD in Neuroscience from Baylor College of Medicine. Currently, Ashley works as a Medical Writer at the Neuroscience Education Institute (NEI), where she develops engaging educational content for medical professionals including press releases on FDA approvals, conference presentations, animated music video parodies, and more. Ashley is also the founder of SciComm Consulting LLC, her own business started during her PhD where she helps academic, industry, and governmental scientists communicate their work visually. She is part of the Leadership Team at ComSciCon USA as the Head of Marketing and Branding, is a former ComSciCon Houston attendee and organizer, and volunteers on planning committees for Research!America. In her spare time, Ashley enjoys her houseplant collection, walking with her pitbull Otto, and traveling.

Engaging Public Audiences Panel: Ana Bueno; Aaron Conrado, PhD; Evelyn Valdez-Ward, PhD

Ana Bueno, an award-winning journalist, specializes in environmental issues and climate change. In 2022, she joined Univision 45 as an environmental reporter, covering topics ranging from air quality and wildlife conservation to investigative stories on Houston’s oil and gas industry. A Bronze Telly and EMMY Award recipient, Ana was named a 2023 fellow at the University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute, which helps journalists deepen their understanding of environmental science. In 2024, she was selected as a fellow for the Western Wildfire Institute, hosted by the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources, and as a Climate Economic Journalism Fellow at NYU Stern, further refining her expertise on climate-driven issues.

Aaron Conrado, PhD, currently serves as a Scientific Expert/Technical Advisor at Noblis, supporting the Office of University Programs at DHS and working to fund cutting-edge research at its academic Centers of Excellence. Prior to this role, he worked as a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at DoD, supporting the Office of Stability and Humanitarian Affairs by working on peacekeeping policy, including UN reform, improving performance, and building partner capacity. Dr. Conrado also serves as a Lecturer at The Archer Center in Washington D.C., where he co-teaches the “The Politics of National Memory” class. As an Archer Fellow in the summer of 2018, Dr. Conrado served as an intern at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he worked on policy topics such as STEM education, GMOs, AI, biomedical research, and biosecurity. Dr. Conrado holds a B.S. in microbiology from The University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. in microbiology and molecular biology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dra. Evelyn Valdez-Ward (she/ella) is a Mexican and formerly undocumented scholar, dedicated to amplifying voices in science. She earned her doctorate from the University of California-Irvine, focusing on the narratives of scientists and their use of science communication for increased sense of belonging. As a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Rhode Island, and an NSF STEM Ed Postdoctoral Fellow, her work continues to explore these critical themes. Dra. Valdez-Ward co-founded the ReclaimingSTEM Institute, providing science communication training, conducting evaluation and research, and helping build STEM, reaching over 1000 participants worldwide. A 2020 Grist 50 Fixer and 2018 UCS Science Defender, she has been honored with multiple awards for her activism and storytelling, including the ESA Science Communication in Practice Award and UCI’s Outstanding Social Justice Activist Award.

SciComm through Various Media Panel: Martina Maritan, PhD; Chand John, PhD; Daniel Whiteson, PhD

Martina Maritan is a scientific designer at BioRender, specializing in creating accurate and engaging scientific visuals. Before joining BioRender, she was the Scientific Communication Lead at Nanome, where she managed communications, content creation, and events for the scientific visualization VR company. She also collaborated as a scientific communicator and social media manager for 3D Protein Imaging, a platform dedicated to visualizing protein structures in 3D. Dr. Maritan earned her PhD in structural biology from the University of Padova, followed by a postdoctoral position at the University of Milan. She then pivoted to computational biology during a second postdoc at Scripps Research in San Diego, where she worked alongside Prof. David Goodsell to build the first atomic-scale 3D model of a bacterial cell. With a strong background in structural biology and scientific visualization, she is passionate about making complex scientific concepts visually accessible.

Chand John is an award-winning technical software leader, educator, and science communicator. BBC News highlighted his TED-Ed lesson that has amassed over 3.9 million views. CBS Austin’s Chief Meteorologist and the University of Texas at Austin have featured his comics on meteorology and women in mathematics. His advocacy for women, Black scholars, and students with disabilities earned him multiple university grants and select committee invitations from UT-Austin’s College of Natural Sciences. Chand earned a PhD in computer science from Stanford University for 3D physics-based simulations revealing how muscles stabilize human walking. He patented a way to compute vehicle operation effort at Honda and earned eight awards from Johnson & Johnson for his inclusive leadership and software for graphics and robotics. He authored a tutorial for physics-based simulation of fluids that is featured as a key learning resource by an expert in physics-based animation.

Daniel Whiteson, PhD, is a professor of physics at UC Irvine, where he studies the nature of matter in experiments that smash particles together at high energies, including the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. He has co-authored “We Have No Idea” and “Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe”, both for a general audience, and has a new book “Do Aliens Speak Physics?” coming out in November 2025. Whiteson is the co-host of the podcast “Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe” which explores what we do and don’t know about our amazing, beautiful universe. He is the co-creator of “Elinor Wonders Why”, a pre-school science show on PBS Kids. He lives in Irvine, California, with his wife, a professor of microbiology and avid promoter of a bean rich diet, their two children, and their dog. He answers every email he receives.

Create-a-Thon Experts

Dr. Jamie Nicole Anastas

Dr. Kyung-Hee Bae

Dr. Danika Brown

Dr. Mary Glavan

Dr. Lauren Kapcha

Dr. Sarah Larsen

Dr. Mary Purugganan

Dr. Alberto Roca

Dr. Siara Rouzer

Dr. Crystal Shin

Dr. Scott Solomon

Dr. Jennifer Wilson

Dr. Marenda Wilson-Pham

Workshop Program

Saturday, April 12, 2025

9:30-10:00 Check-in and Breakfast

10:00-10:15 Opening Remarks

10:15-11:00 Panel 1: Science Communication through Different Mediums (Chand John, Martina Maritan, Daniel Whiteson)

11:00-12:00 Attendee Pop Talks

12:00-12:10 Brain Break 1

12:10-12:55 Panel 2: Engaging Public Audiences (Ana Bueno, Aaron Conrado, Evelyn Valdez-Ward)

12:55-2:10 Rich Family Endowment Networking Lunch

2:10-3:10 Visual Design Skills Workshop (Ashley Monahan)

3:10-3:20 Brain Break 2

3:20-5:00 Create-A-Thon

5:10-6:00 Keynote (Andy Bell)

6:00-6:15 Closing and Raffle

Organizing Committee

Rice University

*Saxton Fisher, Chemistry

Ellie Moreland, Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences

Sieang Dechanun, Bioengineering

University of Houston

Marcela Strane, Environmental Engineering

UT Medical Branch

Hannah Vedder, Neuroscience

UT Austin

*Diana Conrad, Chemistry

UT Health Houston

Breanna Shen, Neuroscience

Baylor College of Medicine

*Adebowale Lex, Molecular Biology

*Advisory Co-Chair

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect from ComSciCon 2025?

At ComSciCon Houston 2025, you can expect to learn practical science communication skills, learn about part-time and full-time careers in science communication, and network with others who are interested in science communication. You will hear from speakers and panelists who are expert science communicators in many different scientific fields. You will participate in interactive workshops where you will learn about science writing, scientific illustration, navigating social media, hosting equitable science communication events, and more. You will have the opportunity to get practice and feedback on scientific writing and speaking through the Create-A-Thon and pop talks.

Who can apply to ComSciCon Houston? Do I need to be a Rice University student?

Applicants must be STEM graduate students or postdocs, work in Houston or the greater Central Texas area, and have an interest in science communication. While the conference is held at Rice University, attendance is open to anyone in the Houston area.

Past ComSciCon conferences have had participants from a variety of Texas colleges and universities, including but not limited to the University of Texas at Austin, Baylor, Texas A&M University, the University of Houston, and MD Anderson.

What is the cost to attend the ComSciCon Houston 2025 Conference?

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we are able to host the ComSciCon Houston 2025 conference at no-cost to attendees. Participants will be provided with lunch and snacks during the conference, as well as a t-shirt.

What is a Create-A-Thon?

The purpose of the Create-A-Thon is to produce a piece of science communication about any scientific topic of interest. Pieces can be formatted as an essay (roughly 500 words), a short video, a podcast segment, an art piece, or any other media. Content can be about your own research or any other scientific topic of interest. Your intended audience for Create-A-Thon will be like the readers of local newspaper (e.g., the Houston Chronicle) who may have a college education but have no training in the scientific area that you are writing about.

During Create-A-Thon, experts and other ComSciCon peers will review and evaluate Create-A-Thon pieces in small groups to receive feedback and discuss strengths and weaknesses of submitted media. Please be sure bring a laptop computer if your media requires one.

What are pop talks?

Pop talks are short, oral descriptions of your research or another scientific topic of interest. They should be engaging and accessible for an audience who may have a college education but no training in the scientific area that you are speaking on. You will give your pop talk live for your peers and science communication experts and get feedback on how to make your talk even stronger. You can sign-up to be considered for a pop-talk in the conference application.

When is the deadline to apply for ComSciCon Houston 2025?

The application deadline is March 1, 2025 at 11:59 PM. Applicants can expect to receive decisions on attendance by March 15 through an email that will be sent to the email address used to complete the application.

Am I expected to attend the whole conference?

Yes, you are expected to attend the entirety of the conference on Saturday, April 12. We expect the conference to start at 9 AM and continue until 6:15 PM.

Will I be able to park on the Rice University campus?

Yes, parking will be free for participants. Once attendance is confirmed, a parking validation will be given to all attendees.

Have additional questions? Please reach out to houston@comscicon.org for more info!

Application

Please access the application via the following link: https://forms.gle/a7dnrZYmG9NQY99W9