Director and Senior Instructor, Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory, University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada
Currently working on:
- research that looks at children’s impressions around creativity and how that fits within scientific contexts (as a way to bridge communities)
- exploring game base learning pedagogies (primarily via our Phylo Trading Card Game)
- a variety of lab outreach programs that focus on STEM gender equity content
- a new project about to start looking at how environmental games can influence advocacy behaviour.
Also, the lab I run is a fully functional science literacy facility with lots of different public programming
Talk with me about:
- Whether there are any specific strategies worth pursuing to make science outreach more effective in the age where US culture is so factionalized
- It would also be cool to check in with some of the teachers in the group and see if they have any thoughts about one of our upcoming Phylo decks (this one is on women scientists and engineers) – we have a beta version that we can play with.
My STEM Story: I’ll focus on a recent one that’s been dwelling on my mind: there’s been lots of discussion recently about whether being feisty or civil is the best course of action when trying to reach communities not normally associated with your value systems. Evidence would generally skew towards using civility, but science advocacy folks are generally passionate folks, and so getting outraged (and rightly so) feels more authentic. Is there a line we can toe to bring in the best of both elements?