My Internship
Science Communication
What We Do
My Internship site this year is with Dr. Krista Hoffman-Longtin and Dr. Jason Organ where we create and edit posts for the PLOS SciComm Blog, as well as develop marking materials, and gather data on these programs. We also plan outreach events to spread effective communication of science. Our main work is collaborating with other authors in creating and editing posts about Science Communication on the Public Library of Science Blog linked below.
Why I Chose Science Communication
I chose this internship because I wanted to gain experiences on how to effectively communicate science to the public while also building connections with all the advisors I am working with. I really enjoy learning about the health sciences along with reading and writing and this program is the perfect combination of both. Being able to gain experiences outside of classes and labs helps me to see what it is like to publish research and how to communicate science with the public.
Why is Science Communication so Important?
Science is always evolving, and in today's world as technology advances new fields in STEM are growing as well. No matter what we do in life, science has some impact on how we live. Science is everywhere and as scientists it is our job to communicate effectively with the public on what we are learning. With passionate individuals, who are eager to use empathy and become better communicators, the world of science can advance not only within our own fields, but with the public as well.
Making a Difference
"Science communication, or “SciComm” for short, is in a state of punctuated equilibrium. And, if you don’t know what that means, then perhaps we’re not doing our jobs as scientists and science communicators."
The PLOS SciComm blog is dedicated to connecting scientists with nonscientists that are each eager to learn. This is done in two main ways: through featuring new science in easy and accessible ways, and through teaching about how to communicate science using empathy and story telling.
Read more about the blog, and how PLOS is making a difference in the field of science communication here:
Throughout this internship I have worked with other authors on getting their science featured on our blog, wrote materials and managed our social media account, and I got to write my own pieces. This has given me the chance to learn even more about science communication when I wrote my feature about neuroscience and politics: a relatively new field that I wanted to present more to the public.
LHSI Experiences
New Skills
So far I have had the opportunity to grow connections with authors of different professions from all over. The first piece I worked on was with a Duke student who wrote a piece about how comics improve science education that we published in October. Working with these authors along with my site supervisors has taught me a lot about communication and has also given me the opportunity to make connections other science communicators.
Fall Semester
So far this Fall I have had the opportunity to review and edit pieces for the blog, write tweets and manage our social media account, attend webinars from other professionals, and now I am starting to write my own piece for the blog. What has really stood out to me so far was learning how to communicate with others. I have been in contact with other authors and fellow interns and being able to network with others has taught me a lot about professionalism. I have also had a lot of opportunities to read pieces from other authors in the field which really inspired me in writing my own piece for the blog.
Spring Semester
This Spring I had quite a few projects to work on. I started this semester writing and researching my piece about neuroscience and politics. I also worked on a piece with Brandi Gilbert for the LHSI Showcase all about this program to be posted on the blog. This spring we also had a discussion board where I got to chat with other interns about our site, how the semester is going, and our workplace cultures. These discussion's are always a great way to get connected with other interns where we can open up new conversations and get feedback on our ePortfolios.
Successes and Challenges
Achievements
One of my goals this semester was to work on my professional communication skills and this internship has given me a lot of opportunities for improvement. By building connections with the authors we collaborate with, I have had lots of practice communicating clearly and efficiently through different medias that I can utilize in future jobs. Practicing my science literacy was another one of my goals for this year and I have gained a lot of experience reading, editing, and writing scientific literature.
Working online
One of the challenges of this semester has been the lack of in person contact. While I am still connecting with a lot of other authors and scientists, I do miss the chances of meeting my supervisors in person for our weekly meetings. We were also unable to hold the in person events that my site has put together in the past, but we are still able to continue planning and creating posts for the blog. Looking forward, these challenges have shown me how to work more independently along with how to communicate and meet with others through online settings.
Expectations versus Reality
"Nothing in science communication makes sense except in the light of empathy."
Ever since the start of this internship, I was looking forward to writing my own piece for the blog. I had several ideas that I wrote down and was eager from the beginning to write about an important subject. I finally settled down on writing about the biology of politics. This piece was such a learning experience, and one that really changed my perspective on science writing. I usually write pretty fast, however for this piece I slowed down my normal writing process and began by taking in as much research about the topic as I could. I found that I got caught up in writing too in depth about the research and that for this blog I needed to focus more on communicating for a public audience.
After consulting my supervisors and other science writers for the blog, I learned that this was all part of the writing process, and to start by simplifying the research in my own words. When I finally completed the piece I learned more about the process of science writing. I felt that this process of writing my own piece gave me a better understanding of what goes into the process of creating sciences pieces for the public.
Since we can't meet in person, here is a screenshot of Jason, Krista, and I in one of our Zoom meetings.
LHSI Showcase
Project Summary
Improving science communication is key in today’s world and using empathy to inform the public about important research requires practice. Science literacy and communication is all about the process of reading and writing. Throughout my internship, I had many opportunities to read about different ways to effectively communicate science, along with writing about a science which interests me. For the showcase event I will be writing a piece all about LHSI and my experiences improving this universal skill.
About the Piece
While writing this piece, I had a lot of opportunity for growth. I was able to apply all that I had learned about writing to the public, and decide what information I wanted to share on this platform. Working with Brandi on writing this piece taught me more communication skills and helped me grow more as a leader. By deciding on a timeline for the piece to be completed along with incorporating what she wanted to say into the piece, we were able to get the piece done smoothly and in a timely manner.
In writing this piece, I also had the chance to reflect on my time as an intern. Not only was I writing about the program itself, but I wanted to embed some of my own personal stories and accomplishments into the piece. This helped me to not only decide how I wanted to share this information to the public, but also gave me the chance to summarize all that I had done in this program.
Strengths and Teamwork
One of my strengths working at this site was having independence. A lot of my work was done at home and on my own so I had to use my best judgement when making decisions. When editing, writing, and communicating with others, there were plenty of opportunities for me to ask questions, as well as times when I had to create my own timeline and decide what the best choice would be. Before this internship, I wasn't very confident in any of my skills and I would hesitate about making decisions. However, after getting the chance to show what I can do and given the chance to ask for help when needed, I grew much more independent in my work while still maintaining a good connection when communicating with others.
Building a Network
One aspect of this internship which I have really appreciated throughout the year was the amount of connections I have had the chance to make. Despite the pandemic changing this year's work to an online setting, I still got to meet with other interns, make great connections and have deep and engaging conversations with my supervisors, and also got to meet other authors who are passionate about communicating their science to the public. Being able to make all these connections helped me not only professionally, but gave me a well-rounded experience throughout the year.