The Centre for Applied Conservation Research and Faculty of Forestry hosts Nancy Baron, 3-4 February 2011
“The saddest aspect of life today is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” – I. Asimov
Science Communication Training Workshop with Nancy Baron
Have you ever wondered how to communicate your science to the general public? How to engage the media and other audiences while conveying your message?
The Centre for Applied Conservation Research and Faculty of Forestry will host Nancy Baron, a renowned science communication educator, to answer these questions and more in a series of lectures and workshops meant to get environmental and conservation scientists ‘out of the Ivory Tower’ and more effective at communicating their research to media professionals and the general public.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, February 3, 5:00-6:00 pm, Room 1005 Forest Sciences Centre: Evening public lecture by Nancy Baron: “Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter”.
Friday Morning, February 4: Communications Workshop open to UBC faculty and graduate students in the environmental sciences, focused on science communication and the public media, led by Nancy Baron and four top science journalists (see biographies below).
Friday Afternoon, February 4: Invited, intensive workshop led by Nancy and media journalists, aimed at refining and practicing communication skills.
About the Speaker
Nancy Baron is the lead communications trainer for the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, which aims to teach academic scientists, graduate students and post-docs how to communicate with journalists, policymakers and the public. As a zoologist and science writer, Nancy knows research from academic, professional and public perspectives and has received international recognition for her accomplishments in science communication and education.
Vancouver-based for several years, Nancy completed an interdisciplinary MSc in global marine studies at UBC, has worked as Director of Education for the Vancouver Aquarium, as natural sciences columnist for The Vancouver Sun, has appeared on-screen as an environmental columnist for Global TV and as a host of natural history documentaries for the Discovery Channel. Nancy has received the National and Western Magazine awards in science communication and repeated Canadian Science in Society awards. In addition to leading the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, Nancy currently acts as Ocean Science Outreach Director for SeaWeb and COMPASS (Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea).
More information about Nancy’s approach to science education:
A recent story in Nature, Outreach: Meet the press, discusses science communication and workshops led by Nancy. Also see Nancy’s recent Commentary in Nature on science communication and leadership (Nature 468, 1032-33).
Escape from the Ivory Tower
In August 2010, Nancy Baron released a book based on her experiences helping scientists communicate their research. Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter teaches scientists what journalists and policymakers want from them, how to form a clear message, and how to be interviewed.
Excerpts from Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter, as well as case studies and exercises on science communication are available on Nancy’s website.
Journalist/Trainer Biographies
Jim Handman: Jim has been the Executive Producer of the CBC Radio science program, Quirks & Quarks, for the past dozen years. During that time, he has won numerous prizes and honours for science journalism, including the Walter Sullivan Award from the AGU; the Science Writing Award from the American Institute of Physics; as well as many awards from the Canadian Science Writers Association. Jim has also taught broadcast journalism at Ryerson University in Toronto, led workshops for the Graduate Science Communications program at Laurentian University, taught radio at the National University of Rwanda, and served as Science-Writer-in-Residence at the journalism school of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before joining Quirks & Quarks, Jim was a senior journalist and producer with CBC Radio, serving as Foreign Editor of National News and Senior Producer of World Report and The World This Weekend.
Nicola Jones: Nicola works as commissioning editor for the Opinion section of Nature and is the science journalist in residence at UBC, where she co-teaches a class in science journalism. She is also a freelance reporter, in her spare time. Nicola got her BSc in chemistry and oceanography from UBC, where she returned for a Masters in Journalism. She then moved to London to work for New Scientist magazine, before moving to Nature. She has been a reporter, news features editor, and online news editor, specializing in earth sciences but covering everything from astronomy to zoology. She works from her home in Pemberton, near Whistler BC.
Lisa Johnson: Lisa tells stories daily as a reporter for CBC News Vancouver, on topics ranging from killer whales to compost to bisphenol-A. In 7 years with the CBC, she’s worked in radio, television and online, and keeps landing challenging roles, such as reporting from a one-person bureau in the mountains of British Columbia, and helping to create a national summer radio program on the environment. Lisa has an Honours degree in Biology, so she’s watched fish mating dances and isn’t afraid of math. She graduated with her Masters in Journalism from UBC in 2004 with the Hal Strait Gold Medal for the top student in the class.
Peter Fairley: Peter is one of North America’s foremost energy and technology journalists. As an author and contributor to leading sci/tech publications such as MIT’s Technology Review magazine and Spectrum, flagship journal of the IEEE, he is a sought-after commentator on innovation and the environment. Before taking up independent writing Peter served as Washington Bureau Chief for Chemical Week, chronicling the global chemical industry’s collision with the environment. Peter has been a guest of NPR’s Science Friday and CBC Newsworld and has spoken on energy innovation to university, professional and business organizations. He holds a B.S. in molecular biology, a Masters in science and environmental reporting from New York University, and is a director of the Society of Environmental Journalists. For more, see Peter’s Carbon-Nation webjournal (http:\\carbonnation.info) or his bio at http:\\www.fairley.ca
Workshop Leader
Nancy Baron: Nancy is the outreach director of the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS). She designed and leads the communications trainings for the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program. Nancy’s new book, Escape from the Ivory Tower (Island Press, August 2010), is a practical and entertaining guide for scientists who want to engage their audiences, ace their interviews, promote their papers and enter the political fray. She and her COMPASS team offer a wide range of workshops for academic scientists as well as scientists who work for government and non-governmental organizations in North America and abroad. Her experience as both a biologist for Canadian National Parks and as a science writer inspired her to help bridge the gaps among scientists, journalists and policy makers. Baron has won numerous science writing awards including National Magazine, Science and Society and Western Magazine awards in Canada. An ardent naturalist, Baron has led natural history expeditions around the world. She wrote the popular introductory field guide, Birds of the Pacific Northwest (Lone Pine Publishing, 1997), as a way to help people engage with the natural world. Nancy is based at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) in Santa Barbara.