Keynote Speaker |
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Bassam ShakashiriBassam 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,
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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 I: Communicating with non-scientific audiences |
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Ben LillieBen Lillie is a high-energy particle physicist who left the ivory tower for the wilds of New York’s theater district. He has a B.A. in physics from Reed College, a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Stanford University, and a Certificate in improv comedy from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. He is the Co-founder and Director of The Story Collider, where people are invited to tell stories of their personal experience of science. He is also a Moth StorySLAM champion and a former writer for TED.com.
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Phil McKennaPhil McKenna is a freelance writer interested in the convergence of fascinating individuals and intriguing ideas. He primarily writes about energy and the environment with a focus on the individuals behind the news. His work can be found in the New York Times, Smithsonian, WIRED, Audubon, New Scientist, Technology Review, MATTER and NOVA. Phil recently published Uprising, an eBook on the climate change implications of natural gas emissions from aging pipelines under US cities. Uprising has been called “the essence of crucial science reporting” by environmental writer and activist Bill McKibben and recently won a AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award. He holds a master's degree in science writing from MIT and was an environmental journalism fellow at Middlebury College. In a previous life he had promising careers as a field biologist, English teacher, bike messenger, and sanitation engineer. |
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Dietram ScheufeleDietram A. Scheufele is the John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Honorary Professor of Communication at the Dresden University of Technology (Germany). He serves as Co-PI of the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University, and currently also co-chairs the National Academies' Roundtable on Public Interfaces of the Life Sciences. His most recent research examines the role of social media and other emerging modes of communication in our society. An elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters, Scheufele has published extensively in the areas of public opinion and public attitudes toward emerging technologies, including nanotechnology, synthetic biology, nuclear energy and bioenergy. His work has been supported by multi-year grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy and other funding agencies. |
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Courtney HumphriesFreelance Journalist and AuthorCourtney Humphries is a freelance journalist and author specializing in science, health, and nature. She writes the Boston Globe's Health Answers column and is a frequent contributor to its Ideas section. She is a contributing editor for Technology Review, and her work has appeared in publications such as New Scientist, Wired, Science, and Nature. Humphries is author of Superdove: How the Pigeon Took Manhattan....And the World, a natural history of pigeons published by Smithsonian Books, which was acclaimed in the New York Times Book Review, New Scientist, and Audubon. Humphries is a graduate of MIT's Graduate Program in Science Writing. She lives in Boston. |
Panel II: Communicating complexity and controversy |
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Ryan VachonRyan 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. |
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Lisa Song |
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Jennifer Briselli |
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Rick Feinberg |
Panel III: Communicating for a cause (incl. policy) |
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Laura Grego |
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David Goldston |
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Sarah Smith |
Ana Unruh Cohen, Director of Energy, Climate and Natural Resources; Senator Ed Markey |
Panel IV: Communicating using multimedia |
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Jeff Lieberman |
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Soren Wheeler |
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Alyssa Goodman |
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Donna Nelson |
Panel V: Improving diversity through communication |
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Mónica I Feliú-Mójer |
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Renée Hlozek |
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John JohnsonAfter 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. |
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Brindha MuniappanDirector 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. |