DWELL Congratulates Student Science Communication Award Winners
by Fran Webber
Three outstanding URI students are the deserving recipients of this year’s Digital Writing Environments, Location, and Localization (DWELL) Lab awards for science communication. For three years, DWELL—in partnership with the departments of Natural Resources Science (NRS) and Professional & Public Writing (WRT)—has offered funding for graduate students to pursue science communications research, as well as awards to undergraduate students in recognition of their academic and professional science communications efforts for the last four years.
Communications Master’s Student, URI GSO Digital Communications Coordinator Wins Graduate Research Funding
Mackensie duPont Crowley is interested in how we translate complex climate science into accessible narratives and how to make sea level rise feel urgent and personally relevant to the public (specifically vulnerable coastal communities). She is pursuing her M.A. in Communication Studies at URI’s Harrington School of Communication and Media. Mackensie’s research explores how Rhode Island newspapers cover sea level rise, documenting the challenges local journalists face when reporting on climate issues and analyzing the themes and narratives used by the press. This work blends her interests in science communication, environmental storytelling, and public engagement with climate change.
As the digital communications coordinator on the Public Engagement team at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography, Mackensie collaborates with students, faculty, and staff on the Narragansett Bay Campus to develop compelling digital content. She specializes in transforming complex ocean science and exploration topics into engaging stories that inform, inspire, and engage the public. A graduate of Fairfield University’s Dolan School of Business, Mackensie honed her science and environmental communication skills at Save The Bay, where she managed content and digital media before joining GSO. She also spent over five years on the executive committee of the Connecticut Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. She loves to run, read, and enjoy the coast all over the Ocean State.
Mackensie’s DWELL funds will support the development of an innovative StoryMap that connects visual risk projections through interactive sea level rise viewers (ISLRVs) with resources designed to enhance climate reporting. The press plays an important role in communicating climate impacts to the public, signaling which issues to prioritize and emphasizing different aspects of an issue through specific thematic frames. Local media, in particular, has the potential to increase public awareness and engagement around climate impacts such as sea level rise by making the issue personally relevant to vulnerable communities.
Journalists covering environmental issues face a number of challenges, highlighting the need for tools and resources that support effective climate reporting. By engaging with the StoryMap, journalists will gain a deeper understanding of sea level rise, explore various narrative frames, and make informed decisions in their reporting—ultimately leading to more impactful coverage for the communities they serve. This project has immediate relevance for local climate storytelling in Rhode Island, with broader implications for coastal regions facing similar challenges. Funds will also support the presentation of the project at the 2026 Ocean Sciences Meeting.
Marine Affairs, Professional & Public Writing Undergraduates Earn Recognition for Efforts to Engage Students, Public in Science
Sarah Wilme is a senior undergraduate in Marine Affairs, and currently pursuing the 5th-year Master’s in Oceanography program. She has been involved in science and research activism as a core member of the non-partisan science accessibility and funding advocacy group Students for Science, a collaboration between students at multiple universities. Sarah hopes that her experience in maritime fields, both as a sailor and in the marine trades, can help her in working to expand ocean science literacy.
Calder Puckett is an undergraduate student majoring in Professional and Public Writing with a specialization in Technical Writing. His work focuses on using design and interactive media to make environmental science more accessible. In previous work, he’s developed AR experiences and created educational graphics with the Providence Stormwater Innovation Center and STEEP. Through this work, he aims to bridge the gap between research and public understanding.
