SciComm & Outreach

Communicating science is one of the best parts of my job as a graduate student! See below a few SciComm and engagement projects I've coordinated or participated in.

NSERC Student Ambassador: Permafrost Thaw in the Muskeg

I had a wonderful outreach session, alongside CAWS member Renae Shewan, in Fort Simpson, NT, at the Łı́ı́dlı̨́ı̨́ Kų́ę́ Elementary School! We learned about permafrost thaw in the muskeg around Fort Simpson with five young members of the community. Examining soil, moss, and lichen samples, and testing out water quality instruments to see how permafrost thaw changes the environment in the Dehcho was excellent with the small group, and we had great questions and discussion. Thank you to NSERC for the Student Ambassadors grant for providing funding to support the event, and Samson Tshuma, Student Wellness Coordinator at Dehcho Divisional Education Council, who was instrumental in organizing the event.

STEM Fellowship Mentor: Research Exploration Opportunity

In 2021, I coordinated with the UAlberta branch of the STEM Fellowship group along with fellow CAWS lab members Rebecca Frei and McKenzie Kuhn to mentor high school students and introduce them to research pathways in earth sciences. Activities from our mentorship project can be found here: https://bit.ly/CAWS-Fellowship

Skype a Scientist

I've participated in >10 sessions with elementary school-aged students across Canada and the United States since 2019 to share my scientific research and chat with young people about careers in science and academic pathways through the Skype a Scientist program. Some of my favorite questions from kids include "Where do you get your shovel," "Which bog is your favorite bog," and "How can you be a great scientist?"