UU faculty Adrienne Cachelin and Nalini Nadkarni will explore a spectrum of approaches to public engagement, from science communication to community-based research, providing local examples, with objectives, processes and outcomes of each one.

Zoom link https://utah.zoom.us/j/94237271485?pwd=OXF4d2tnVXNucFNta1pleE9GQjNpQT09

Meeting ID 942 3727 1485  Passcode 816762

ABSTRACT: 

As scientists, it is vital that we make our work more collaborative, accessible and relevant to society, especially as we examine the role of higher education in promoting equity and justice in the both the scientific enterprise and in society. We can achieve these goals by prioritizing mutual exchange, sharing ideas and worldviews in the context of public engagement. We will describe a spectrum of different approaches to public engagement, including citizen science, science communication, and community-based research. For each, we will provide local examples to describe the objectives, processes and outcomes. We will then invite discussion about how we might engage as citizens and scientists in higher education.

BIOS:

Adrienne Cachelin is a faculty member with the Environmental & Sustainability Studies program and the Director of Sustainability Education at the U. She is currently serving as a founding co-chair of Utah URBAN (Urban Research-based Action Network) in partnership with University Neighborhood Partners and the Bennion Center. Adrienne studies environmental justice in the Salt Lake Valley using a critical approach to community-based research.

Nalini Nadkarni is a Professor in the School of Biological Science at the U. Her research is on the role of canopy-dwelling biota in tropical and temperate rainforests. She carries out public engagement with science for non-traditional public groups, including faith-based congregations, urban youth, and the incarcerated. She directs the STEM Ambassador Program, a training program for scientists to provide engagement activities in the venues where public groups live, work, and gather.