Center for Science Communication connects complex science to the community

with the growing population, it is becoming more important every day to have a community of people who know how to communicate scientific information.

By Samy Gentle @samy_gentle_

What do agriculture, human health, veterinary medicine and energy issues all have in common? All of the aforementioned topics are points of focus for Colorado State University’s Center for Science Communication.

The CSC works as a central location to link “CSU experts, professionals and students to develop researchdriven strategies to understand the communication of science,” according to Connor McHugh, a graduate student involved with the center.

“The center focuses on helping stakeholders communicate effectively about science and provide expert solutions to science communication problems,” McHugh wrote. “One of the major goals of the CSC is to work towards having a strong foundational network of science communication efforts and using that to create community and dialogue around science.”

According to McHugh, research suggests that social distance between the public and scientists is a relatively new occurrence, and

“Scientists sometimes craft information that has nomenclature that the public is not familiar with,” said Samuel Tham, a member of the steering committee for the CSC. “Being able to have messaging relevant to the public at large is impactful to show how we may need to adapt and change based on scientific knowledge.”

The CSC works to find out what is going on in the world of science and then puts that information into easy-to-understand media formats for the public, according to graduate student Benjamin Randall.

“We’re like the mediators between you viewing science and you understanding science,” Randall wrote.

The center works largely with students within the journalism and media communication program, according to McHugh.

“The JMC graduate degree has a science communication concentration, and the center acts as a space to gain experience with both research and applied work in a more in-depth way while being surrounded by experts,” McHugh wrote.

In addition to the previously mentioned goals, the CSC also is interconnected with the Science Communication Club at CSU, which Tham is the advisor of. The club meets multiple times during the semester and exposes students to experiential learning opportunities and guest speakers involved with science communication fields, according to McHugh.

“The center is a funded department wing of the JMC sector, whereas the SCC is a student organization and club,” Randall wrote. “We try to get the two to align whenever we can — most people involved in one are also involved in some facet with the other.”

The Science Communication Club is a great way for any and all students to get involved with the CSC, which they can do by simply attending a meeting. McHugh said the club is looking to grow participation of students from all the different colleges of CSU.

“Historically, the club has been made up mostly of students who have a JMC major or minor, which is great, but we’re also hoping to invite more students to science programs to give all of our students a chance to develop their science communication skills,” McHugh wrote.

“There’s just so many outstanding events, research and opportunities going on on our planet — let alone at our university — and being able to explain in layman’s terms these interesting tidbits of science ... is what communication is all about,” Randall wrote. “It’s wholesome, it’s pure — it’s the CSC, baby.”

Reach Samy Gentle at science@ collegian.com.