From starting my chemistry education in a primarily undergraduate institution in rural Georgia, to my current postdoctoral position at a world-renowned research institution in Germany, I have had the opportunity to teach, mentor, and collaborate with people from countless different backgrounds. This experience has shaped my teaching and outreach philosophy in the following ways:
- My passion for my research has fueled a desire to provide others with opportunities to engage in science and to build their own appreciation of the field.
- Every person who crosses my path is unique, meaning they will come with a unique skillset, but also exclusive challenges that require personalized solutions.
- Although I will not immediately understand or recognize each person’s challenges, effective communication is key to surmounting those barriers to enable others to engage in science.
These core beliefs serve as the foundation for my approach for how I engage with others scientifically, including in my teaching, mentorship and public outreach. In all my activities, I strive to support strong interpersonal communication, as well as, strong scientific communication. A selection of my favorite projects are provided below.
How to Deliver a Perfect Elevator Pitch
Department workshop
A scientist’s ability to convey their research clearly and quickly, no matter the situation they find themselves in, is a very useful skill to have. Commonly, scientists will develop “elevator pitches” where they are able to explain their science in about a minute. I hosted a department workshop, attended by students and senior academics, to help my colleagues build the skills needed to deliver a successful elevator pitch. The workshop focused on audience assessment and generalized pitch structure. This provided the workshop attendants with a versatile skillset, which enabled flexible on-the-go pitch development for any audience.
Scientific Storytelling
Introductory Chemistry Class Assignment
In undergraduate science education, experience with conveying scientific concepts in writing, outside of technical lab reports, is often missing. I believe in order to be an effective scientist, you must be able to communicate your science to many different people. As an introduction to audience-based science communication, I provided my general chemistry students with this assignment: Choose an intended audience and write a story for them conveying a scientific concept you have learned in class. This assignment integrated creativity and science in a way that many students were not accustomed to. This had the effect of building the confidence of some students, who felt as though their skillset fell outside of their perception of a “typical science student.” It also challenged the students in a way, where their mastery of a given topic was on full display.
Technical Taboo
Science Communication Video Project
A special thanks to co-creators, Brooke Andrews and Helen Siaw. Also, thank you to the Emory Chemistry Department and Throttle Up Media for their support in filming and editing.
Communicating your science to a general audience can be tricky, and often scientists trip up and use too many technical terms. Me and two other graduate students created a game called “Technical Taboo” where graduate students had to explain their research topic in under a minute. The catch was the lab mates of each student provided us with technical words that the student could not use in their explanations. Use of “taboo” words would result in getting buzzed!
We recorded all the challenges, and the video was showcased at the Emory Chemistry Department’s graduate recruitment weekend. It was used as an introduction into a live game show of Technical Taboo, where students and professors went head-to-head to see who was best at explaining their science without using overly technical language.
Laser Maze
Science demonstratioN for public outreach
I created a table top optical setup where participants must set up mirrors along a designated path to get a laser beam to hit a target. The game teaches the basics of laser optics and optical safety to a general public (age range: elementary students to adults). This maze was utilized in the annual Chemistry Carnival event, which is part of the greater Atlanta Science Festival – a city-wide event to encourage public engagement with the sciences.
If you are interested in learning more about the above projects, or anything other projects I have been involved in, please reach out