Welcome
The June 2014 ComSciCon event will be our second annual national workshop for graduate students. Our series of workshops provide a unique professional development experience to graduate students engaged in and committed to communicating the results of research in science and engineering to broad and diverse audiences.
The structure and format of the workshop will be similar to last year’s event, ComSciCon’13. Attendees will interact with graduate student leaders in technical communication, from around the country, learn from professional communicators including journalists and educators, and will produce original works of science communication for publication.
Applications will be open to graduate students from all fields of science and engineering at all US institutions. The workshop is free to attend, and accepted applicants will receive travel reimbursement and housing at Harvard University facilities. The workshop will be held at the Microsoft New England Research and Development Center from June 12th – 14th, 2014.
Apply to Attend
For graduate students
The graduate student application for the June 2014 ComSciCon workshop closed on March 1st, 2014. Application was open to graduate students at all US institutions in graduate programs related to science or engineering. The workshop is open to currently enrolled graduate (masters and doctoral) students, and students who have completed their graduate degrees in the past 6 months prior to the workshop (December 2013 or later).
For K12 educators
The K12 teacher application closed on May 15th.
To receive announcements about this and future ComSciCon programs, please sign up for our informational email list using this form.
Travel and Venue
Venue
The June 2014 workshop will be held at the Microsoft New England Research & Development Center in Cambridge, MA June 12-14th, 2014.
The Center is located at: One Memorial Drive Suite 100 Cambridge, MA 02142
For detailed directions for car and public transportation, please visit the Center’s website.
Please bring a photo ID to ensure admittance into the NERD Center.
The Microsoft New England Research & Development Center (NERD) is a research and software innovation campus located in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The NERD vertical campus spans two buildings with its primary presence and conference center located at One Memorial Drive and a recently renovated and expanded space located at One Cambridge Center. NERD is home to some of Microsoft’s most strategic teams including Microsoft Research New England, Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V), SharePoint Workspace, Microsoft Technical Computing, Microsoft Advertising, Microsoft Lync, Microsoft Office 365 and more. NERD has become a hub of activity for the local tech community and has hosted more than 900 events and welcomed more than 80,000 visitors during the past three years.
This view shows the entrance to the Microsoft NERD center, from Memorial Drive, in Google Street View:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=1+Memorial+Dr+%231,+Cambridge,+MA&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1+Memorial+Dr+%231,+Cambridge,+Massachusetts+02142&gl=us&ll=42.361539,-71.081324&spn=0.000431,0.00064&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=42.361224,-71.081108&panoid=tD7UPZ-yY2LIuZoL8O1PTg&cbp=12,331.07,,0,-18.66&source=embed&output=svembed
View Larger Map
This map shows the location of the Microsoft NERD center and other locations relevant to the workshop:
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/u/0/embed?mid=zpPBdor3H1MM.koUPQv-lBnCA
Getting to Cambridge
By Plane
Cambridge is served by Boston Logan International Airport. The trip from Logan to Cambridge is roughly 20 minutes by taxi or 40 minutes by public transportation (the T). To travel by T, take the Silver Line bus from the airport to South Station and then transfer to the Red Line subway. Take the Red Line “inbound” towards Alewife. See directions below for accessing the workshop accomodations and venue from the subway.
By Train
Trains into Boston stop at South Station, Back Bay, and North Station. To travel by subway (the T) from South Station, take the Red Line “inbound” towards Alewife and get off at the Harvard Square Station. From Back Bay or North Station, first take the Green Line “inbound” toward Park Street and then transfer to the Red Line (see above). See directions below for accessing the workshop accomodations and venue from the subway.
Boston & Cambridge Public Transportation
Please check the MBTA website for bus and subway schedules.
Accomodations
For non-local attendees, a single occupancy room will be provided free of charge in the Harvard graduate dormitories the nights of June 12-15. Rooms will be in Richards Hall, located at 24 Everett Street, Cambridge, MA. Upon your arrival in Cambridge, please check in at Richards Hall (after noon on Wednesday, June 11th), where members of our organizing committee will be ready to check you in.
Travel from Boston Logan Airport:
Get on the Silver Line bus (SL-2) at your terminal. The bus only goes in one direction and is free of charge. At South Station, you will transfer to the subway (you don’t need to leave the station or pay). Follow the signs to the Red Line subway, and take the inbound train, towards Alewife. Disembark at Harvard Square station.
To walk to Richards Hall, see the map above and follow these walking directions. Cross Harvard Yard to reach the intersection of Oxford and Kirkland streets, which meet at a right angle between the Science Center and Memorial Hall. Walk down Oxford until you reach the first light; Richards is on the left, directly behind Perkins Hall.
Travel from South Station: Most long-distance trains and buses arrive at South Station. The train station separate is separate from the subway, so you will need to pay ($2.50) to enter. Follow the signs to the T and get on the Red Line towards Alewife. Follow the walking directions from Harvard Square station described above.
Travel to the Workshop Venue
Transport to and from Richards and the Microsoft NERD Center will be by subway. Non-local attendees will be provided with a one-week MBTA subway pass to cover these rides. From Richards, walk to Harvard Square and get on the Red Line, inbound (towards Ashmont or Braintree, both work). Disembark at Kendall/MIT.
From the Kendall station, the NERD center is a five minute walk East on Main St. See the map below.
Speakers
| Keynote Speaker | |
| Bassam Shakashiri Professor of Chemistry and former ACS PresidentBassam Z. Shakhashiri is the first holder of the William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea at UW-Madison. He is well known internationally for his effective leadership in promoting excellence in science education at all levels, and for his development and use of demonstrations in the teaching of chemistry in classrooms and in less formal settings, such as museums, convention centers, shopping malls and retirement homes. From 1984 to 1990 Professor Shakhashiri served as Assistant Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) for Science and Engineering Education, (now called Education and Human Resources) and presided over the rebuilding of all the NSF efforts in science and engineering education after they had been essentially eliminated in the early 1980’s. His leadership and effectiveness in developing and implementing national programs in science and engineering education have helped set the annual NSF education budget at its current level of nearly $900 million. His NSF strategic plan launched the systemic initiatives and many of the other NSF education programs of the last three decades. Professor Shakhashiri served as 2012 President of the American Chemical Society, formed the ACS Presidential Commission on Graduate Education in the Chemical Sciences, the ACS Climate Science Working Group, and the ACS Global Water Initiative Working Group. He believes it is not enough for us to be just scientists; we have a responsibility to be citizens as well. As scientist-citizens we must use our skills and adhere to high values and virtues to fulfill our obligations for the benefit of Earth and its people. His website is www.scifun.org. | |
| Panel II: Communicating complexity and controversy | |
| Ryan Vachon Ryan Vachon, received his Ph.D. in stable isotope geochemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder. For over a decade his research revolved around developing tools for developing long records of ancient climate from ice cores and tree rings. During several research-oriented field campaigns, he video-documented several methods of examining the planet’s climate systems. Related footage and video productions later graced network broadcast channels such as CNN, PBS, BBC and National Geographic. | |
| Lisa SongReporterLisa Song is a reporter at InsideClimate News, where she writes about oil sands, environmental health and natural gas drilling. | |
| Jennifer Briselli User experience designerJen’s first love was science, but as she finished her physics degree, she fell in love with the challenge of communicating as much as she enjoyed researching. She spent several years designing learning experiences as a high school physics teacher and found her passion in that design process. Jen recently earned a Master of Design degree in Communication Planning & Information Design at Carnegie Mellon University, during which she completed a thesis project at the intersection of design, rhetoric, and science communication titled: “Demanufacturing Doubt: A Design Strategy for Science Communication.” She’s currently a user experience designer in Boston and when she’s not thinking about design strategy or science communication, she’s probably playing ice hockey, baking vegan cookies, or listening to loud music with unintelligible lyrics. | |
| Rick Feinberg American Astronomical Society’s Press Officer and Director of CommunicationsDr. Rick Fienberg is the American Astronomical Society’s Press Officer and Director of Communications. From 1986 to 2008 he worked at Sky & Telescope magazine, the last eight of those years as Editor in Chief. In 2008-2009 he was Visiting Scientist in Astronomy & Astrophysics at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. Rick earned his B.A. in physics at Rice University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in astronomy at Harvard University; he has done research on the aurora borealis, asteroids, planetary nebulae, active galaxies, and the center of the Milky Way. He helped create the Galileoscope educational telescope kit for the International Year of Astronomy 2009. He’s a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the International Astronomical Union, which he serves as Secretary of Commission 55, Communicating Astronomy with the Public, has named asteroid 9983 Rickfienberg in his honor. | |
| Panel III: Communicating for a cause (incl. policy) | |
| Laura Grego Senior Scientist, Global Security ProgramDr. Laura Grego focuses on the technology and security implications of national missile defense and of space security. She is the author or co-author of more than 20 peer-reviewed, published papers on a range of topicsSince joining UCS in September 2002, she has been cited by Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New Scientist, New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today, and has appeared on Fox News, the Discovery Channel and NPR. She also has testified before Congress and addressed the United Nations Conference on Disarmament on space security issues.Before joining UCS, Grego was a postdoctoral researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. She earned a doctorate degree in experimental physics at the California Institute of Technology and a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy at the University of Michigan. | |
| David Goldston Director of Government Affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)David Goldston became Director of Government Affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a leading environmental group, in July 2009. In that position, he helps shape NRDC’s federal political strategy, policies and communications. Prior to that, he had spent more than 20 years on Capitol Hill in Washington, working primarily on science policy and environmental policy. He was Chief of Staff of the House Committee on Science from 2001 through 2006. After retiring from government service, Goldston was a visiting lecturer at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 2007 and at the Harvard University Center for the Environment in 2008 and 2009. From 2007 through November 2009, he wrote a monthly column for Nature on science policy titled “Party of One.” Goldston also was the project director for the Bipartisan Policy Center report “Improving the Use of Science in Regulatory Policy,” which was released in August 2009. He authored a chapter in The Science of Science Policy: A Handbook (Stanford University Press, 2011). He is a member of the Advisory Committee of the National Academy of Sciences’ Division of Environment and Life Sciences and has served on numerous panels of the Academy and other organizations preparing policy reports. He holds a B.A. (1978) from Cornell University and completed the course work for a Ph.D. in American history at the University of Pennsylvania. | |
| Sarah Smith Spatial Policy Specialist for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)Dr. Sarah Smith is a Spatial Policy Specialist for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in Boston, where her work involves analyzing and promoting policies related to improving fisheries management, including marine protected areas and ecosystem-based fisheries management. The majority of her work is focused on New England’s iconic groundfish fishery, advocating for better science-based fisheries management to rebuild fish stocks and support fishing communities. Prior to working at EDF, she worked as a fisheries extension specialist at the URI Coastal Resources Center on issues related to fisheries, offshore renewable energy, and marine spatial planning. She previously worked for NOAA as a social science researcher. She received her PhD from the University of Rhode Island in 2011 in Marine Affairs, where her dissertation research focused on stakeholder participation in the management of marine protected areas in the Caribbean. She also holds a M.A. from Tufts University in Urban and Environmental Policy. | |
| Ana Unruh Cohen, Director of Energy, Climate and Natural Resources; Senator Ed Markey | |
| Panel IV: Communicating using multimedia | |
| Jeff Lieberman ArtistJeff Lieberman explores the connections between the arts, sciences, education, creativity, and consciousness. He hosted ‘Time Warp’ on the Discovery Channel, reminding us how little our senses detect and understand about reality. He composes music in the duo Knolls. He shows sculptures internationally, exploring our unseen interconnectedness and interdependence. Having finished four degrees at MIT (Physics, Math, Mech. Eng., Media Arts + Sciences), he is exploring how the evolution of consciousness can cease human suffering. | |
| Soren Wheeler Senior ProducerSoren Wheeler is the Senior Producer at the Peabody Award-winning show Radiolab, where he he plays a variety of roles, including producer, editor, and reporter. He also manages the production staff, and oversees the development of show content.Before coming to Radiolab, Wheeler was at the Association for the Advancement of Science, where he co-authored the book Atlas of Science Literacy. He spent 6 years as a freelance science education consultant working with science teachers and writing about how students learn science. He then went on to get masters degree in science writing at Johns Hopkins University.Wheeler has won awards for production on radio pieces about statistics and randomness, the periodic table, and the story of a woman waking up from a coma. | |
| Alyssa Goodman Professor of Astronomy, Harvard UniversityAlyssa Goodman is Professor of Astronomy at Harvard University, and a Research Associate of the Smithsonian Institution. Goodman’s research and teaching interests span astronomy, data visualization, and online systems for research and education. In her astronomical pursuits, Goodman and her research group at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, MA study the dense gas between the stars. They are particularly interested in how interstellar gas arranges itself into new stars. In more computationally-oriented efforts, Goodman co-founded The Initiative in Innovative Computing (IIC) at Harvard. Goodman presently leads a diverse group of researchers, librarians, and software developers in an ongoing effort known as “Seamless Astronomy,” aimed directly at developing, refining, and sharing tools that accelerate the pace of scientific research, especially in astronomy. In the world of education, Goodman is best known for her collaborative work on the WorldWide Telescope project at Microsoft Research. Goodman received her undergraduate degree in Physics from MIT in 1984 and a Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard in 1989. | |
| Donna Nelson Professor of Chemistry, University of OklahomaDr. Donna J. Nelson is a professor of chemistry at the University of Oklahoma. Nelson specializes inorganic chemistry, which she both researches and teaches. Nelson’s career has focused on five primary areas of research generally categorized in two areas, Scientific Research and America’s Scientific Readiness. Within Scientific Research, Nelson’s areas have been: (1) mechanistic patterns in alkene addition reactions and (2) Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT) functionalization and analysis. Under America’s Scientific Readiness, she focuses on (3) science education, which includes classroom innovations and correcting organic chemistry textbook inaccuracies, (4) ethnic and gender diversity among highly-ranked science departments of research universities, and (5) improving the presentation of science and images of scientists to the public, such as serving as a science advisor to the AMC television show Breaking Bad. | |
| Panel V: Improving diversity through communication | |
| Mónica I Feliú-Mójer Vice-Director and News Editor-in-chief of Ciencia Puerto RicoDr. Mónica I. Feliú-Mójer (@moefeliu) uses contextually-relevant and experiential-based lessons to make science and scientific role models accessible to underserved audiences. Her bilingual outreach efforts focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) topics and opportunities, as well as increasing diversity in science and science communication. In 2013, she received the COPUS Paul Shin Memorial Award for her efforts to increase public understanding of science among Hispanic audiences. Her work has been featured on international media outlets, such as Univisión and VOXXI, among others.Mónica has a bachelor’s degree in Human Biology at the University of Puerto Rico in Bayamón and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Harvard University. She is the vice-director and news editor-in-chief of Ciencia Puerto Rico (@CienciaPR), an organization leveraging social networks to engage scientists in science communication and education. Mónica is also the Manager of Outreach at the University of Washington Department of Biostatistics (@UWBiostat). | |
| Renée Hlozek Astrophysicist, Princeton UniversityDr. Renée Hlozek is the Lyman Spitzer Jr. Postdoctoral Fellow in Theoretical Astrophysics in at Princeton University and the Spitzer-Cotsen Fellow in the Princeton Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts. In 2011, she received her DPhil in Astrophysics from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar from the class of South-Africa-at-Large and Christ Church, 2008. Her research focuses on theoretical cosmology; as a member of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope she measures the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation to decipher the initial conditions of the universe. She was named one of the Mail and Guardians 200 Young South Africans for 2012, was elected as a 2013 TED Fellow and is currently a 2014 Senior TED Fellow. | |
| John Johnson Professor of Astronomy, Harvard University After spending four years as an assistant professor of Planetary Astronomy at Caltech, John Johnson is now a Professor of Astronomy at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. In 2012, he was awarded the Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship, the David & Lucile Packard Fellowship, the Feynman Teaching Prize, and the AAS Newton Lacy Pierce Prize for “for major contributions to understanding fundamental relationships between extrasolar planets and their parent stars.” In 2013, he was named one of Astronomy Magazine’s “Ten Rising Stars” in astrophysics.His primary research focus is on the detection and characterization of planets outside our Solar System, commonly known as exoplanets. His most recent work is focused on studying the properties of Earth-like planets around the Galaxy’s least massive stars, commonly known as red dwarfs. His group’s notable discoveries include three of the smallest planets discovered to date, each smaller than the Earth and one the size of Mars. His group’s statistical analysis of planets discovered around red dwarfs has revealed that there exist 1-3 Earth-like planets per starthroughout the Galaxy. In addition to papers in professional journals and conferences, his work has been featured in the magazines Sky & Telescope, Astronomy, Discover and New Scientist. He blogs regularly at this URL and you can follow him on Twitter as @astrojohnjohn. | |
| Brindha Muniappan Director of Education and Public Programs, MIT MuseumBrindha Muniappan is the Director of Education and Public Programs at the MIT Museum. She actively produces programs for the public, including educational workshops for middle and high school students, speed-geeking science programs for adults, and hands-on explorations of engineering and technology for people of all ages. Her goal is to fully connect students and faculty at MIT with the Museum’s wider public community by creating multiple formats through which scientists can discuss and show their work. Brindha holds degrees in environmental engineering and biological engineering from MIT. Her passion for science communication led her from the research bench to the field of informal science education. Prior to joining the MIT Museum, she developed exhibit content for the Marian Koshland Science Museum and explored multiple methods for public communication of science — including presentations for museum visitors, live TV segments, and podcasts — as an educator at the Boston Museum of Science. | |
Program
PDF programs
Full ComSciCon’14 program
Abridged (printable) ComSciCon’14 program
K12 session (Sunday) program
Program description
The ComSciCon’14 workshop will take place June 12-14th, 2014 and will feature panel discussions with expert science communicators including journalists, fiction and non-fiction authors, public policy advocates, educators, and more discussing the following topics:
- Communicating with non-scientific audiences
- Communicating complexity and controversy
- Communicating for a cause
- Communicating with multimedia
- Engaging diverse audiences
In addition to these discussions, ample time is allotted for interacting with the experts and with attendees from throughout the country to develop new science outreach collaborations. Workshop participants will produce an original piece of science writing and receive feedback from workshop attendees and invited experts. A special K12 outreach education session is being planned for June 15th.
Full Program Schedule
All events to take place at the Microsoft NERD Center unless otherwise noted.
| Thursday | |
| 8:30 | Breakfast |
| 9:00 | Welcome |
| 9:15 | improvscience session led by Dr. Raquell Holmes |
| 11:00 | Panel I: Communicating with non-scientific audiencesCourtney Humphries, journalist and author most recently of SuperdoveBen Lillie, Co-founder and Director of storycollider.orgPhil McKenna, journalist published in the New York Times, Wired, and moreDietram Scheufele, Professor and Chair of National Academy roundtable on Public Interfaces in Life Science |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 14:00 | Twitter tutorial |
| 14:30 | Panel II: Communicating complexity and controversyJen Briselli, science communication researcherRick Fienberg, Press Officer and Director of Communications for the American Astronomical SocietyLisa Song, environmental science reporter for InsideClimate NewsRyan Vachon, climate scientist and videographer |
| 16:00 | Science Careers, Sparkling Cider, and Scrumptious Crudités |
| 17:30 | Peer editing preparation presentation |
| 18:00 | Dinner and peer editing session |
| 20:00 | Writing cafe (drafting time with snacks) |
| 21:00 | Return to dorms |
| Friday | |
| 8:30 | Breakfast |
| 9:00 | Panel III: Communicating for a causeAna Unruh Cohen, Director of Energy, Climate and Natural Resources; Senator Ed MarkeyDavid Goldston, Director of Government Affairs for National Resources Defense CouncilLaura Grego, Senior Scientist at the Union of Concerned ScientistsSarah Smith, marine biologist and Policy Specialist for Environmental Defense Fund |
| 10:30 | Panel IV: Communicating using multimediaAlyssa Goodman, Professor of Astronomy and expert in inter-disciplinary data visualizationJeff Lieberman, roboticist and host of Discovery Channel’s Time WarpDonna Nelson, Professor of Chemistry and Science Advisor for the television series Breaking BadSoren Wheeler, Senior Producer at Radiolab |
| 12:00 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Panel V: Improving diversity through communicationMónica I. Feliú-Mójer, Manager of Outreach Programs for the Department of Biostatistics at University of WashingtonRenee Hlozek, astronomer and TED fellowJohn Johnson, Professor of Astronomy and academic diversity advocateBrindha Muniappan, Director of Education and Public Programs, MIT Museum |
| 15:00 | Expert review |
| 17:00 | Keynote presentation: “Advancing Science and Communicating Science”Bassam Shakhashiri, Professor of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison; 2012 American Chemical Society President |
| 18:15 | Travel to banquet venue |
| 19:00 | Banquet dinner (at Elephant Walk restaurant) |
| 21:00 | Informal social evening |
| Saturday* | |
| 9:30 | Breakfast |
| 10:00 | Developing a Science Communication Network |
| 11:00 | Multimedia poster session |
| 14:00 | “American Scidol” Pop Talk Competition/Outreach (at MIT Museum) |
| Sunday** | |
| 8:30 | Continental Breakfast & Registration |
| 9:15 | Welcome and Introduction |
| 9:30 | Keynote Lecture: Dr. Todd Zakrajsek, Executive Director, Academy of Educators, UNC-Chapel Hill |
| 10:15 | Introduction to Graduate Research by ComSciCon Graduate Students in STEM disciplines |
| 10:45 | Coffee break |
| 11:00 | Prof. Donna Nelson, Professor of Chemistry, University of Oklahoma; Breaking Bad Science advisor |
| 11:15 | Justin Maher, Admissions, Harvard Graduate School of Education |
| 11:30 | Dr. Kristen Cacciatore, Addressing misconceptions and new curriculum standards |
| 12:30 | Lunch and a tour of the Universe by Chris Faesi |
| 13:30 | Prof. John Johnson, Harvard Dept. of Astronomy – What does it mean to be excellent? |
| 14:30 | Introduction to Astrobites/STEMbites and writing topic assignment |
| 15:00 | Curriculum module development |
| 16:15 | K12 “pop” presentations |
| 16:40 | Wrap up & conclusions |
* The details and timing of these sessions are subject to change.
** Special K12 education session for K12 educators and interested ComSciCon graduate student participants
Photos
ComSciCon 