• Public Summary
• Speakers
• 2019 Planning Committee
• Themes
• Sponsors

Agenda

Friday, September 27, 2019 at the Memorial Union Ballroom, 50 Lower College Rd., Kingston, RI
8:15am-9:30am	Check-in, continental breakfast (URI Memorial Union Ballroom)
9am-9:15am	Welcoming Remarks (Memorial Union Ballroom)
9:15-10:00am	The State of Inclusive SciComm (Memorial Union Ballroom)
10:00am-11:30am	"Act It Out": Creative Role-Play for Professional Growth (Memorial Union Ballroom)
	The work of inclusive science communication and engagement can be demanding. Sometimes you wish you could slow down and take a moment to process. This plenary session is that moment. We will use voluntary role-playing to invite you to recreate and unpack some of your recurring InclusiveSciComm challenges, building the skills and empathy needed for sustained progress. Sam Dyson, Learning Design Consultant
11:45am-12:45pm	Networking Lunch (Memorial Union Ballroom)
12:45am-1:45pm	Keynote: "But Here We Are Scientists": Science Communication & Youth's Efforts in Establishing a Rightful Presence in STEM (Memorial Union Ballroom) Edna Tan, an associate professor of science education at University of North Carolina Greensboro, will discuss her work that explores issues of power and systemic injustices as they relate to identity among underrepresented youth, in both informal and formal learning settings in science and engineering. She focuses on "identity work" and "identities in practice" (i.e., what youth do, say, or perform) to understand how youth engage with STEM in ways that empower them as valuable contributors to STEM. Dr. Tan's emphasis on collaborations between researchers and practitioners will inspire symposium attendees to pursue similar partnerships. Dr. Edna Tan, University of North Carolina Greensboro
1:45pm-2:00pm	Walking Break
2:00pm-3:00pm	Concurrent Sessions (Memorial Union) Choose from one of four concurrent sessions to hear about lessons learned from other's work and to gain new skills
	Communicating Science for Everyone: Social Media Practices Memorial Union, Room 360 Over the last few years, social media platforms have become powerful tools for the dissemination of scientific information. The ubiquitous and interacting nature of these platforms have democratized science communication lowering the barriers of access to knowledge and scientists across the world. In this session, the panelists will share their personal experiences and strategies to encourage the celebration of diversity in science through social media. Presentation Abstracts Ana Maria Porras: Successes and Lessons Learned while Communicating Science in Spanish through Crocheted Microbes and Social Media Over the last few years, the field of science communication has grown exponentially within the English-speaking world. However, access to both high-quality scientific information and the scientists that produce said knowledge is still limited in other parts of the world. In Latin America, science outlets are scarce and in Colombia, in particular, my home country, most people have only heard of 1-3 Colombian scientists in their lifetime. Thus, new approaches must emerge to engage the non-English-speaking public with science. With this in mind, I launched an Instagram account (@anaerobias) where every Tuesday (#MicroMartes), I share a new crocheted microbe and tell a short story about it in Spanish. Over the last year, I have crocheted and posted about 35 different microbes, cells, or animal microbiomes (27 of my own designs). I have now reached 457 followers, most of whom (267) are in Latin America. I have also paired many of those microbes with profiles on Colombian researchers (16 so far). These profiles have led to engaging conversations both on- and offline. They have also led to professional opportunities, with one of our featured scientists recently traveling to Colombia as the invited speaker for a Symposium after the organizers spotted them on my social media. In this talk, I will highlight the challenges and triumphs I have faced in attempting to communicate science in Spanish and increase the visibility of Colombian scientists. Efraín E. Rivera Serrano: Hashtag UniqueScientists – Development of a Pro-Diversity Platform Based on Social Media Experiences Social media platforms are currently one of the most powerful forms of communication, knowledge exchange, and establishing networking clouds between and within scientists and non-scientists. Despite extensive monetary resources invested yearly towards recruitment of minority groups to ‘STEM’ programs, less effort has been dedicated to promoting a sense of belonging during their training and ensuring success. Current trainees and tenured professionals continue to struggle with embracing and even accepting their identity; mainly due to existent biases and fear of rejection by the community. After seen several negative comments made by scientists and non-scientists based on their vision of how scientists ‘should look like’, I recently founded the #UniqueScientists project where we highlight different STEM professionals almost daily on our website (https://uniquescientists.com/) and on social media (@Also_AScientist on Twitter and Instagram). With the mission of embracing diversity and sharing the journey of scientists across the globe, our team hopes to contribute to an atmosphere that promotes recognition and celebration of individual identities. In less than three weeks since its release date, #UniqueScientists has grown to thousands of followers on social media and over 20,000 visits to our website. The positive feedback along with the over 150 submissions received from scientists all over the world highlights the need for communication platforms dedicated to current issues in STEM fields. Beyond this platform, I will be discussing tips on developing effective communication programs and how to use these for addressing emerging challenges in higher education. Ana Maria Porras, Cornell University Efraín E. Rivera Serrano, University of California, Davis
	Weaving Inclusive Engagement Practices into Institutional Fabrics Memorial Union, Atrium 1 Personal identities affect how people prioritize, view, and communicate scientific issues, but institutional communications and cultural norms are defined by many stakeholders with potentially conflicting viewpoints. This panel will discuss challenges to and solutions for encouraging institutions to adopt an inclusive brand and culture. Presentation Abstracts Jeanne Garbarino: Building Change from Within: Assessing the impact of centralized science outreach on institutional culture As the scientific enterprise evolves to adopt more inclusive policies, we are seeing a greater emphasis on the value of science outreach, both as a practice and as a profession. This, in turn, has placed a greater emphasis on assessment and evaluation of such efforts. While many have focused on assessing the impact of science outreach-related activities on outward audiences, few have brought to light the value of such efforts on scientific communities and institutions. Using the story of RockEDU as a reference point, this talk will describe how a grassroots approach can chip away at antiquated institutional norms, and influence the way a population of scientists can more thoughtfully engage with the community in which they are embedded. Virginia Schutte: Institutional inclusive scicomm ethics and obligations Institutional communications policies are almost always set by multiple people. What if those people have conflicting views about how to prioritize inclusivity? This presentation will illustrate common practices as reflected on institutional social media accounts and will consider how to change institutional scicomm norms. Though new media scicomm training and research often focuses on individuals, institutions have sizable followings and have the resources to sustainably hire scicomm practitioners, so their approaches impact huge numbers of people. Virginia Schutte, Freelance; and Jeanne Garbarino, Science Outreach Program, The Rockefeller University
	Down with the Scientific Method! Reimagining Teaching the Process of Science in Classrooms and Beyond Memorial Union, Atrium 2 While the authentic process of science is clearly messy and provisional, it is inadequately presented in K-12 or even undergraduate classrooms as a prescribed “scientific method” that leads us to the “right” outcome, devaluing the necessary core concepts of failure and iteration. Typically associated with an overemphasis of factual content, this strategy presents a narrow definition of science that can leave students underprepared and/or perceiving accessibility barriers related to future STEM education and careers. In this workshop, we would like to present our experiences teaching about the process of science using the six styles of scientific reasoning established by Kind and Osborne. Through this approach, we see greater possibilities for bridging the gaps between content, procedural, and epistemic knowledge types, and provide a broader view that encourages not just a method, but a more inclusive and relevant way to think about and apply science. Disan Davis, RockEDU, The Rockefeller University
	The Practice of Cultivating Ensembles to Create Inclusion in STEM Memorial Union, Room 318 How did a middle-aged Puerto Rican man from the housing projects in New York City change careers after 16 years in the high tech industry and become a public school teacher for 7 years? Where did the support to return to school to earn a Master’s degree in K-6 education, and a Ph.D. in Urban Education come from? How did he learn to negotiate the politics of higher education to become a tenured associate professor and department chair of Interdisciplinary Studies? The answer is performance, improvisation and participating in a practice of cultivating ensembles. The foundation of this activity is a practice/theory dialectic that prioritizes the activity of the group in understanding human development and the ability of the individual to relate to others, learn and grow. In this talk, I will highlight how the practice of cultivating ensembles has helped advance my career in academia, and how I use this practice to create STEAM learning environments for underrepresented students. I will briefly describe the Social Therapeutic theoretical framework that underlies, primarily the work of Soviet developmental psychologist Lev Vygotsky, and Fred Newman and Lois Holzman. Jim Martinez, New York Institute of Technology
3:00pm-4:00pm	Networking Break (Memorial Union)
3:15-4:00pm	Focus Groups (optional) (Memorial Union Rooms 308 & 318)
4:00pm-5:45pm	Concurrent Sessions
	From Science to Infographics Workshop (Memorial Union, Atrium 2) Infographics are a visual way to communicate complex ideas. Through interactive partner exercises & group demos, you'll learn how to craft just the right amount of text, learn design skills, and get some sketching done (don’t worry, it’ll be fun). Results are best if you have a topic in mind, since you’ll be explaining it briefly to someone else. This workshop takes you out of your comfort zone, but it’s all about empowering you to make science more visual through experience and community building. Additional theme: Visual SciComm Techniques to improve accessibility Gaius J. Augustus
	Science Communication and Engagement with Religious Publics (Memorial Union Ballroom) This workshop, co-developed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion program and the AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology, is offered to support scientists, educators and science communicators in their engagement with diverse religious publics. Facilitators Lilah Sloane and Liz Crocker from AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion will guide attendees through discussions and exercises on potential challenges, opportunities, and strategies for constructive dialogue, particularly on topics where science intersects with culture, faith and worldview. Elizabeth Crocker, AAAS; Gemima Philippe, AAAS; Lilah Sloane, AAAS; Rob O'Malley, AAAS
4:15pm-5:45pm	The Role of Identity in Stem Education and Communication (Memorial Union, Room 360) Growing strands of research in formal and informal STEM education, and in the science of science communication have been focusing on "identity" as a construct that developers of settings and activities need to take into account as they design curricula, learning experiences and events. Speakers on this session will briefly present their views on identity, intersectionality and the related challenges of inclusive design and measurement. Session participants will then have the opportunity to break into smaller groups based on their interests, roles and perspectives for deeper discussions with panelists. Jamie Bell, Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE); Jennifer Adams, Department of Chemistry & Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary; Dale McCreedy, Discovery Center at Murfree Spring
	Working Towards an Inclusive Scicomm Ecosystem: Lessons Learned Through Research and Practice (Memorial Union, Room 318) This panel focuses on three complementary strategies for expanding conversations around science, science identity, and inclusion used at the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences: Engaging artists, writers, and scientists in telling science stories in novel formats like animated shorts, children’s books, traveling exhibits, and live performance (Science Communication Lab scl.umn.edu) Providing science communication training opportunities for scientists from diverse backgrounds and career trajectories to engage with the public at farmers markets and community events through Market Science (marketsci.org) and live events Studying the impact of personal science stories from diverse storytellers on factors influencing attrition in science—especially in groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM (e.g., women, particular racial or ethnic groups, and first-generation college students). We will discuss findings on classroom-based interventions that address hidden identities, such as religiosity, politics, and sexual orientation, that may impact science identity and sense of belonging in science classrooms. We will also discuss creative collaboration as a vehicle for sharing knowledge and creating a dialogue between scientists and the public. Involving students and early career scientists in all three endeavors, we hope to create a science communication and engagement ecosystem focused on dialog and inclusion. We will discuss some of our initial successes and challenges in bringing underrepresented voices to the forefront and engaging diverse audiences. These include identifying partners within the University and local communities (urban and rural), setting priorities based on mutual goals, and allowing the product to emerge organically based on the talents and interests of all participant. In the Q&A session, we hope to open the conversation around inclusivity in the creation and contextualization of scientific knowledge and ways in which evidence-based approaches can help build trust in public discourse. Michael Winikoff, University of Minnesota; Sehoya Cotner, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota; Jessica Cameron, North Star STEM Alliance, University of Minnesota Twin Cities; Azariah Yonas, Computer Science Major, University of Minnesota
	Cultivating Networks for Systemic Change (Memorial Union, Atrium 1) Systemic change is hard. Collective action can help. In this 90-minute session facilitated by learning design consultant Sam Dyson, you will learn how peer professional networks of individuals and organizations can achieve greater change than working alone and will begin to identify the local resources that could help you launch a supportive network in your own community. Sam Dyson, Learning Design Consultant
5:45pm-6:45pm	Transport Available to Beaupre Center and Hotels (Southeast entrance of Memorial Union)
	Walking Break to Beaupre Center
6:00pm-7:15pm	Networking Reception (Beaupre Center, Upper and Lower Lobbies) Now it's time to gather in the lobbies of the Richard E. Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences for food and conversation, where you can view the award-winning art installation by Erwin Redl. Heavy appetizers will be provided and a cash bar is available. Note that food and drinks are available on both the first and second floor lobbies, accessible via stairs or elevator. For those who are more sensitive to noise, the upper lobby may be a little quieter. Additional tables and chairs are available outside, off the second floor lobby.
7:00pm- 8:30 pm	Film Screening and Discussion: Can We Talk? Difficult Conversations with Underrepresented People of Color: Sense of Belonging and Obstacles to STEM Fields (Beaupre Center, Room 100) The film, “Can We Talk? Difficult Conversations with Underrepresented People of Color: Sense of Belonging and Obstacles to STEM Fields,” explores various obstacles and impediments–structural, cultural, psychological, and institutional–that effectively limit the inclusion and participation of underrepresented people of color in STEM fields. The film was created by Dr. Kendall Moore and her students. Moore is a professor of film production and multimedia reporting in the URI Harrington School of Communication and Media and a member of the Metcalf Institute Advisory Board. This is a repeat performance for the film, which premiered at the 2018 InclusiveSciComm Symposium. Kendall Moore, Harrington School of Communication and Media, University of Rhode Island
8:30pm-9:15pm	Transport available to Hotels (Beaupre Center South Entrance)

Saturday, September 28,2019
8:15am-9:30 am	Check in, continental breakfast (Avedisian Hall Lower Lobby)
9:00am-10:00am	Concurrent Sessions
	Reclaiming STEM: A Guide to Creating Inclusive Training Spaces (Avedisian Hall, Room 170) As STEM spaces become increasingly diverse, it is critical for universities and scientific societies to consider how to make their science communication training spaces accessible and engaging to a broad audience. To create training spaces that are inclusive of the growing diversity of scientists, it’s essential to go beyond acknowledging or accommodating people of different backgrounds, and instead, create training spaces that are designed to be accessible and attainable to everyone. In this workshop, participants will work in groups to learn how to design advanced training spaces that aim to reflect the greatest possible array of their participants needs. Evelyn Valdez-Ward, University of California Irvine Robert N. Ulrich, University of California Los Angeles
	Channeling Creative Energy and Building on Shared Purpose to Create Community: Insights from the Cultivating Ensembles Conference (Avedisian Hall, Room 130) Are you passionate about building and supporting an inclusive, creative community from the ground up and simply don’t know where to start to tackle this often daunting task? Join Jim Martinez and Barbara Natalizio, the co-Chairs of the Cultivating Ensembles 2021 conference, for an interactive session of learning how to build ensembles to produce an interdisciplinary, inclusive, and playful scientific conference. The Cultivating Ensembles bi-annual conference brings diverse and interdisciplinary scientists, educators and artists for a 3-day experience of sharing research, education, and science communication practices in the sciences, arts, and humanities. We will share some of the history and growth of the Cultivating Ensembles conference, and the theoretical and practical underpinnings of the methodology of cultivating ensembles, including practicing intentionality when developing integrated professional lives across intersections of race, gender, institutional locations and disciplines. The session will be interactive and playful—a reflection of how we fully embrace these values in our community culture—and will include an opening skit, a warm-up improv game, a group activity, and a question and answer period. The goal of the session is for participants to leave with a suite of approaches for building community, and perhaps, more importantly, with a sense that they are not alone and have a community to support them through their own journeys. Barbara J. Natalizio, PhD, Ronin Institute Jim Martinez, PhD, Chair of the Interdisciplinary Program, New York Institute of Technology
	(SciComm) Access is Love: Shifting the Way We Practice Communicating Science (Avedisian Hall, Room 240) This workshop aims to introduce attendees to critical disability studies through a discussion of accessibility in the field of science communication. We will review key terms and theories of disability as well as best practices for inclusion. Informed by intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989), access intimacy (Mingus, 2011), and Patty Berne’s (2015) articulation of a disability justice framework, we will reflect on and envision a disability justice-informed science communication praxis that truly demonstrates that “access is love” (Wong, Mingus, & Ho, 2019). Lisette Torres-Gerald, Nebraska Wesleyan University
	Pathways and Obstacles to Inclusive SciComm I (Avedisian Hall, Room 105) Breaking barriers and increasing access to STEM and science communication requires a combination of structural solutions and novel approaches. Two of these options, creating low-cost and low-barrier “SciComm Labs” and using humor as an engagement tool, will be discussed in this first session on Pathways and Obstacles to Inclusive SciComm, as well as a broader discussion around how we go about increasing accessibility to both science and science communication tools and training. Presentation Abstracts Michael A. Cacciatore: How Humor Can Help Us Communicate Science Humor has been recommended for scientists communicating with publics, and yet, evidence for its effectiveness is lacking. This presentation will tie together results from a recent survey-experiment focused on humor in science-focused social media content. The results point to the effectiveness of humor for engaging publics, including some traditionally-underserved audiences. Anique Olivier-Mason: Fostering Equity and Inclusion with Just-in-time Science Communication Coaching To broaden participation of underrepresented groups in STEM, universities need to create sustainable programs that foster equity and inclusion beyond the classroom. In 2017, Brandeis University created a Science Communication Lab (CommLab) that was based on the MIT model in operation since 2013. The Brandeis resource offers individual coaching and targeted workshops that support the scientific community in developing the skills needed to communicate the rationale, process and results of their science to any audience in written, spoken or visual form. The CommLab provides “just-in-time” support: low barrier, one-on-one appointments with trained science-communication fellows who share discipline-specific knowledge with the student. Since its founding, the CommLab has served nearly 200 students in over 570 appointments. Usage data show that a greater percentage of women and underrepresented minority graduate students used the CommLab (as compared to their overall compositions in the School of Arts and Sciences). Our premise is that the CommLab is a low-cost way to address the disparities that exist in scientists' communication skills that are necessary for their research to be understood and respected. Science-communication skills are necessary for publishing papers, getting grants awarded and simply making an impact in a discipline. We believe that a Science Communication Lab is one way that a university can encourage lasting diversity within the sciences, specifically by closing those gaps in communication that can widen over a scientist’s career. By being available "just-in-time" the CommLab can adapt to any student and provide the necessary support that will propel them forward in their career. Anique Olivier-Mason, Brandeis University Michael Cacciatore, Grady College, University of Georgia
	Inclusive Science Communication as a Way Towards Decolonizing Science (Beaupre Center, Room 105) As Inclusive Science Communication becomes more formalized as a practice and discipline, scholars are becoming more aware of its potential to address, re-structure, shift, and change, how western science is not only practiced but how it has historically erased and marginalized Other (Indigenous, Latinx, Africanx) scientific practices. This presentation, which will center Indigenous research and practices primarily, will establish how communication of scientific issues, in a variety of ways and settings, lends itself towards new efforts to decolonize science.
10:00am-10:30am	Walking Break
10:30am-11:30am	Concurrent Sessions Choose from one of four concurrent sessions to hear about lessons learned from other's work and to gain new skills
	Changing Systems and Structures to Decolonize STEM Outreach (Avedisian Hall, Room 170) This workshop will introduce participants to inclusive science communication practices to decolonize STEM outreach. We will examine and discuss a social design process that used decolonizing methodologies to redistribute authority and agency in a cross-age networked STEM club. The purpose of the outreach program, and the research study, was to support youth (aged 11 – 14), who have been historically marginalized in STEM education, to develop and assert their own STEM interests and their own life perspectives for addressing and solving world problems. We will use design-thinking exercises to identify and discuss key challenges and potential solutions related to inclusive science communication and decolonization of STEM outreach. Deena L. Gould, Arizona State University
	Inclusion Through Dialogue - Student Voices and Inclusive Teaching (Beaupre Center, Room 105) Presentation Abstracts Nichole Bennett: Inclusive pedagogy means reaching people where they are, and there is a need to deeply know not only what you are trying to teach but also why. This deep, dramaturgical view of your objectives affords you the flexibility to adjust to each student’s needs. These pedagogies that allow in student voices require both reflexivity in teaching and comfort with uncertainty. I will speak to my experiences in practice teaching improv to youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as to my experiences in research in shifting science communication from the deficit model to a dialogue. Bryan Dewsbury: Unpacking Our Conversation on Inclusion The calls for a national conversation on race has led to some useful but sometimes stagnant dialogue on what it means to be underrepresented and/or disenfranchised in the US. Central to the stagnation is an unwillingness or inability to fully understand the activation energy required to fully understand, internalize and respond to the US' original and continual sins. In this workshop, we will engage participants in the analysis of reflections of how mostly white-identified US faculty respond to an activity meant to elicit novel thoughts on the role that privilege in US social positioning. We will use this analysis to discuss ways in which we can better position ourselves to be agents of change in the national conversation of inclusive practices. Heather Miceli: Giving all students a voice: engaging general education students in science content creation Teaching non-majors science students can be a challenge, especially considering that most of the time, their one science class is the last formal science education they will receive. In this presentation, I will be outlining an open pedagogy project I have designed for non-majors students that engages them in science content creation - the students become authors and creators of websites detailing different science topics covered in my course. The end results are websites created by non-science majors for non-science majors, giving all students a voice in science. Heather Miceli, Roger Williams University Bryan Dewsbury, University of Rhode Island Nichole Bennett, University of Texas Austin
	Equitable Communication for People with Disabilities (Avedisian Hall, Room 130) Systemic and structural barriers to science education and medicine can range from obvious resources gaps to more insidious underlying biases and beliefs. These challenges can have potentially life altering impacts. Join us in this discussion that aims to challenge biases, systemic barriers, and structural inequalities that affect access and agency. Presentation Abstracts Laura Kiesel: All Is Not Equal: Understanding Illness Through an Intersectional Lens The implicit and pervasive nature of racial, gender and class biases can make it especially challenging to address disparities in how illness and chronic pain disorders are diagnosed and treated in medicine. Such biases can even have fatal repercussions. For instance, women are seven times more likely than men to be misdiagnosed and discharged in the middle of having a heart attack because the medical knowledge of the phenomenon is based on an understanding of male physiology and women experience different symptoms when having a heart attack than men do. Additionally, 70% of the people impacted by chronic pain are women, yet 80% of pain studies are conducted on male mice or human men. However, such biases are not restricted to gender as a growing body of evidence suggests that how people experience illness and their ability access adequate medical treatment often also depends on factors such as race and socio-economic status as well as sex. Recent research reveals that race can either significantly compound disparities in medical treatment of a patient or even sometimes act independently of income. Manish Jain: Communicating Science to Visually Impaired Through Audio Description Quality education in general, and math and science education in particular, are at very primitive stage for visually impaired and need strong efforts to improve the scenario. Only 1-5 % students opt for math and science subjects at high school level. This is the story all over india and probably most of the developing countries. Many ground level realities are responsible for this, ranging from lack of accessible teaching tools, paucity of quality teachers, no accessible science or math laboratories, inadequate or no use of technology, no resources in local languages and no link with livelihood opportunities. Organised learning ecosystems like laboratories with accessible tools and equipments, supportive work spaces and learning resources in local languages are almost non existent. In fact none of the blind school in india has even basic science laboratory with accessible tools. This directly leads to weak or no foundation of these crucial subjects at primary and middle school level which in turn lead to dropping of these subjects by almost all visually impaired children once these becomes optional. This not only deprive them of exercising their choice of subjects, it also lead to limited career options, inadequate livelihood opportunities and poor economic growth because majority of high paying and lucrative career options belong to STEM field. Problem get compounded for non institutionalised visually impaired children ( they constitute almost 60% ) because they don’t have access to any of the resources. Audio described (AD) technology has been used successfully for entertainment of visually impaired. Though its reach is very limited in third world countries but it has given them some glimpse of best from the world of cinema. We applied and used the AD technology to create short videos explaining fundamental principles and concepts of science. An additional audio track was added in specially shot videos which described the background scene of various experiments in situation. We used these videos to explain Newton’s third law, law of conservation of angular momentum and many other scientific concepts. Some videos were created to explain even more challenging tasks like explaining the principles of light to those who can not see the light. Using local language in these videos further increased the acceptability of these videos. By using smartphones and other handheld devices these videos can be used by those children as well who can not attend school. In the absence of accessible science laboratories, these audio described science videos in local language can be an interesting and easy to understand way of elaborating on various science experiments to school children thereby helping them in gaining a strong understanding of various science concepts. These can be applied across various streams of science. By contributing and improving the basic knowledge and understanding of science subjects and thereby helping them in selecting a career and jobs in these areas It will also improve the economic and social well being of visually impaired thereby directly contributing to sustainable development goals number 4 and 8. Laura Kiesel, Independent Researcher and Reporter Manish Jain, DREAMS Foundation
	Organizing Inclusive SciComm Meetings (Avedisian Hall, Room 105) To encourage local and regional InclusiveSciComm meetings and discussions around the world, this session will provide guidance on how to plan an InclusiveSciComm gathering at your home institution or with other partners, with insights from members of the InclusiveSciComm Symposium Planning Committee. Come with questions and suggestions about logistics, accessibility, organization, and partnerships. Sunshine Menezes, Metcalf Institute, University of Rhode Island Mani Garcia, City University of New York
	Pathways and Obstacles to Inclusive SciComm II (Avedisian Hall, Room 240) Discussions about accessibility and inclusion in science often center around target audiences and ensuring marginalized and underrepresented groups have equitable access to scientific products and information. This conversation is just as vital when considering researchers, themselves, and other producers of STEM products and information. Join us for our second Pathways and Obstacles to Inclusive SciComm session to discuss representation and visibility of diverse scientists as well as access to fellowships, funding, scholarships, and other opportunities to reduce financial barriers. Presentation Abstracts Kevin Alicea-Torres: Increasing Visibility of Underrepresented Minority Scientists through Science Communication Science communication is often used to educate society about science related topics or to share stories of scientists and their successful scientific careers. Unfortunately, science communication initiatives are not always inclusive and do not represent a diverse community. Moreover, a small number of scientists interviewed for most popular podcasts, blogs, videos, and others, are underrepresented minorities (URM). However, we have created a science communication initiative called Caminos en Ciencia (“Pathways in Science”) that aims to increase representation and visibility of URM scientists. This initiative explores the challenges, successes and lessons learned by URM scientists along their careers and training in science. In addition, we learn about their science and how URM scientists are formed, including experiences and difficulties they encountered through their pathway in science. We would share several case studies to demonstrate the impact of increasing visibility of URM scientists in diverse communities through an inclusive science communication initiative. Alberto Roca: The SciComm Diversity Travel Fellowship Will Make Science Communication Inclusive The DiverseScholar SciCommDiversity.org Travel Fellowship was designed to build a community of minority science communicators/journalists who would interact with experienced professionals at conferences such as ScienceWriters. The travel fellowship reduces the financial burden of conference expenses while also introducing the fellows to mentors who facilitate networking and knowledge-building during the event's professional development opportunities. The fellowship is managed by an ad hoc committee from the DiverseScholar non-profit whose primary activity is diversifying the academic professoriate through various activities such as attracting a diverse readership/membership to its MinorityPostdoc.org career portal. Two strategies were used to encourage applicants to the SciCommDiversity fellowship. First, we sought minority journalists interested in S.T.E.M. topics who wished to extend beyond their standard reporting beats (tech, politics, etc). Such student and professional journalists were found by networking with and producing conferences panels at the National Association of Black Journalists and the Native American Journalists Association annual events. The second source of applicants were minority scientists interested in exploring how to convert their social media and blogging activities into professional writing/reporting careers. We found such individuals via our activities at annual conferences of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science as well as at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Recently, the fellowship has been expanded to included practitioner events such as SciCommCamp and ComSciCon. In summary, we will review lessons learned from the 5-year history of the fellowship especially intervention sustainability strategies. Kevin Alicea-Torres, Cell and Molecular Biology Program, University of Pennsylvania Alberto Roca, Diverse Scholars
11:30am-12:00pm	Walking Break
11:45am-12:45pm	Networking Lunch (Avedisian Hall Lower Lobby)
1:00pm-2:00pm	Keynote: Tilting at Windmills: The Quixotic Quest to Report Environmental News in South America (Beaupre Center, Room 100) Informed by 10 years of research about environmental news in Latin America, this presentation sets forth a theoretical critique of journalistic culture and news coverage of environmental change. It argues for a more complicated assessment of power relations in terms of influences upon local reporting of environmental risk and climate change, impacted geographies and populations.
2:00pm-3:15pm	Walking Break
2:00pm-3:15pm	Focus Group (Optional) (Avedisian Hall Room 105 and 207)
2:00pm-3:15pm	Poster Session and Networking Break (Avedisian Hall, Lower Lobby) This session features posters covering inclusive scicomm from a wide variety of perspectives, as well as STEM research. Refer to the Posters category in the Socio app to review poster abstracts. Thank you to The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for sponsoring this poster session and networking break! The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is finding new ways to leverage technology, community-driven solutions, and collaboration to accelerate progress in Science, Education, and within their Justice & Opportunity work.
3:330pm-4:00pm	Walking Break
4:00pm-5:30pm	Concurrent Sessions (Avedisian Hall and Beaupre Hall)
	The Chance of Birth: Recognizing Personal Power and Variations in Privilege (Beaupre Center, Room 100) Being fully inclusive takes awareness, introspection, and effort, and can be a life-long pursuit of choice, discovery, and opportunity. Join this powerful workshop where participants will take a journey through the life of an anonymous participant through a series of activities, and will quickly uncover the advantages and disadvantages associated with this individual’s existence – as well as their own. As this is a group activity, each participant will walk in the footsteps of another, leading to deeply meaningful discussions and insights. Catalina Martinez, Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
	Unpacking our Conversation on Inclusion (Avedisian Hall, Room 130 The calls for a national conversation on race has led to some useful but sometimes stagnant dialogue on what it means to be underrepresented and/or disenfranchised in the US. Central to the stagnation is an unwillingness or inability to fully understand the activation energy required to fully understand, internalize and respond to the US' original and continual sins. In this workshop, we will engage participants in the analysis of reflections of how mostly white-identified US faculty respond to an activity meant to elicit novel thoughts on the role that privilege in US social positioning. We will use this analysis to discuss ways in which we can better position ourselves to be agents of change in the national conversation of inclusive practices. Bryan Dewsbury, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island
	Building Community, Catalyzing Change: Science Networks for Civic Engagement (Avedisian Hall, Room 170) The COMPASS Scientist Sentinels/UCS Science and Democracy Fellows leadership programs catalyzed new approaches and pathways of democratic participation for the scientists and researchers involved. The first cohort showed us the incredible synergies that can occur when a diverse and thoughtful group comes together and dares to think differently about what being an effective conduit between science and society looks like for them. These scientists are stepping up in a broad spectrum of ways, finding their voices, and meaningfully connecting with communities around their science. Panelists who are part of that cohort will share powerful stories about their civic engagement path, who/how/why they are engaging, their strategies for communicating across differences, and the obstacles and opportunities they’ve encountered along the way. After an initial introduction and short story of engagement from each panelist, panelists will moderate small-group discussions with the participants, each with a different focus question around pathways and strategies for civic engagement. The session will reconvene at the end to share back from their small-group discussions and highlight key themes and lessons. Heather Mannix, COMPASS; Mohammed Yakub, SciLine, AAAS; Shayle Matsuda, Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology, University of Hawaii Manoa; Vijay Limaye, Natural Resources Defense Council Danielle Fox, Union of Concerned Scientists
	Addressing the NSF's Broader Impacts Criterion through Inclusive SciComm (Avedisian Hall, Room 240) Both presenters are also on the Advisory Board for the Advancing Research Impacts in Society Center and serve on the Steering Committee for the National Alliance for Broader Impacts. All NSF proposals must include a plan for communicating the broader impacts (BI) of the proposed research, ideally in ways that engage groups under-represented in STEM disciplines and, ultimately, increase diversity in STEM careers. However, a divide often exists between researchers writing NSF grants, BI professionals who support their grant-writing efforts and science communicators (especially those endeavoring to practice inclusive SciComm), resulting in missed opportunities to broaden participation in STEM through inclusive SciComm practices. This workshop will explore ways to bridge this divide by providing an overview of the current state of broader impacts, and engaging participants in discussion of inclusive SciComm strategies and approaches which can broaden participation in STEM and lead to more effective, impactful BI efforts. Participants will work in small groups to brainstorm ideas, which will then be synthesized in a large-group report-out and discussion. Jory Weintraub, Duke University Oludurotimi Adetunji, Brown University
	Community Insights: Pitch Your Project Ideas for Community Input on How to Make Them More Inclusive (Beaupre Center, Room 105) Moderator: Alycia Mosley Austin, Graduate School and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Rhode Island and InclusiveSciComm Symposium Planning Committee member This session was developed in response to a suggestion at the 2018 symposium. Bring your ideas for new or existing science communication, public engagement, or informal STEM education projects to get community input on how to make the projects more inclusive, equitable, and intersectional. Individuals or teams will have 5 minutes to describe their project's audience(s), approaches, intended outcomes, and the specific steps they are taking to make the work inclusive. After this brief pitch, attendees will offer ideas for how to maximize inclusion in the project. Remember that this is a safe space for sharing ideas: open and respectful conversations are essential, and this could identify possible collaborations. However, we all know funding is competitive: request permission before borrowing another person's idea. Keep opportunities for critical dialogue and research/practice partnerships in mind.
5:30 pm-6:45pm	Networking Reception (Beaupre Center, Upper and Lower Lobbies )
6:00pm-7:30pm	Transport Available to Hotels (Beaupre Center South Entrace)
6:45pm-8:15pm	Story Collider Mini-Show (Beaupre Hall, Room 100) Stories are powerful. Whether hilarious or heartbreaking, subversive or soothing, they reflect who we are and what matters to us. As a community, it deeply matters who takes the stage and what stories are told. The Story Collider is hosting a very special mini-show featuring InclusiveSciComm participants. You won’t want to miss it Liz Neeley and Gastor Almonte, The Story Collider
8:15pm-9:30am	Transport Available to Hotels (Beaupre Center South Entrance)

Sunday, September 29, 2019
8:15am-9:15am	Check in, continental breakfast (Avedisian Hall Lobby)
8:30am-9:00am	Seated Meditation with Mani (Optional) (Avedisian Lounge, First Floor)
9:00am-11:00am	Concurrent Sessions Avedisian Hall and Beaupre Hall) Choose from one of four concurrent sessions to hear about lessons learned from other's work and to gain new skills
	Truth and Reconciliation: Building the Path for Inclusive Communication in STEM (Avedisian Hall, room 170) The creation of knowledge, especially in STEM fields, has been the purview of a reduced set of perspectives. Similarly, science communication in the US has been limited in perspectives and languages. As more scientists and engineers from underrepresented backgrounds engage in the scientific enterprise, those diverse perspectives and languages must be included. Further, these perspectives must inform science communications targeting the general public and communities of color, in particular. Embedded in these perspectives is a recognition that the cultural and social values of these communities are often at odds with those of the mainstream American culture. There is an urgent need to find common ground and common languages that are truly inclusive. Without the participation of scholars from these communities, such languages cannot be created and such perspectives will be lost. This process is inhibited by obstacles like white fragility and cultural appropriation, which must be carefully navigated. These are difficult challenges that can be overcome as we collectively engage in a process of truth and reconciliation in science, much like the social process experienced in South Africa in the past. In this session, we will discuss these challenges in the context of environmental justice, which affect poor and communities of color in disproportionate ways. Addressing these environmental issues clearly requires the participation of scholars from these communities as well as the active participation of these communities. The language for such progress, therefore, must be developed first and the appropriate roles for STEM scholars should be honestly understood and accepted. Lupita D. Montoya, University of Colorado Boulder
	STEMprov: Improv for Inclusive SciComm (Beaupre Center, Room 100) This beginner workshop applies tools of improv to creating inclusive environments in the less-complex, lower-stakes world of imaginative play. We’ll focus on three themes: (1) facilitating difficult conversations, (2) creating cultures of “yes and”, and (3) embracing variation and diversity in thought. We’ll play improv games that require deep listening and empathy. We’ll practice leading with presence and engaging with curiosity rather than falling into habits of summarizing or offering solutions--all skills for facilitating difficult conversations across difference. We’ll also investigate one of the core philosophies of improv, “yes and” and work at creating cultures of “yes anding” onstage and off. When how we are “supposed” to be acting feels prescribed, non-inclusive environments can emerge. When we move away from the paradigm of sanctioning as tightly with a “yes and” philosophy, this parallels the process of moving away from “in grouping” and “out grouping.” We will also explore the value of embracing variation and diversity of thought. When the same group of people starts off with the same piece of information, they often see and imagine different directions for it. We’ll play improv games that help us examine how to create welcoming contexts for this richness in collaboration and creativity. As we play these improv games and feel the shifts that these three themes allow us, we’ll reflect and discuss which factors enable and which obstruct the cultures we wish to create and parallel how to cultivate these same spaces in our science communication research and practice. Nichole Lynn Bennett, University of Texas Austin
	Liberating Science Stories in Theory and Practice (Beaupre Center, Room 105) Humans use stories to educate and to motivate, to explain and to entertain. We always have. In the past decade, storytelling has become a huge buzzword in science engagement, and for good reason: compared to evidence-based argumentation, narratives are more engaging, more comprehendible, more believable, and more persuasive. Stories are celebrated for this ability to shape perceptions and expectations. Less attention has been devoted to the ways in which the prominence and repetition of specific stories are the product of social hierarchies and power structures. The Story Collider exists to correct the historical imbalance in who narrates our science history. We hope you will have joined us for our live show on Saturday night. This workshop will dig into the theory and practice of how such stories are produced, and will be a hands-on chance for you to explore and develop your own ideas. This workshop draws from psychology, the social sciences, the humanities, and hard-won stage experience to challenge all of us to think more deeply about what stories are, how they work, and how we can tell them effectively and ethically. Liz Neeley, The Story Collider
9:30am-11:00am	Let Educators Lead STEM Curriculum Development with Full Creative Autonomy (Avedisian Hall, Room 240) Science Friday is a media non-profit that shares engaging STEM stories for radio, video and online channels and produces original instructional materials for K-12 with a small staff of former educators. In 2016, Science Friday launched an alternative resource development model: a competitive cohort-based program that paid educators to develop their own brand-new ideas for STEM instruction. Educators co-developed lesson ideas with their classes, colleagues, and cohort peers, along with a team of editors, digital producers, illustrators, and STEM experts to bring their free resources to life online. Each educator was given complete creative autonomy and authority over the final product, no templates. Resources immediately and radically diversified (including 3D virtual field trips, danced assessments, and games) and more frequently included student images and work samples. The new resources are more popular, outperforming conventional resources as well as “best in class” partner-developed resources in views, downloads, time on page, and exit rate. An external evaluation of participant attitudes from recent cohorts showed that participants felt like their approach to education was valued. Participants significantly improved their ability to communicate with other educators, represent their practice to their community, and convey procedures clearly to students. Of students who tested a Science Friday’s resource in 2019, 88% indicated they enjoyed resources developed in this program more than the average classroom activity, compared to 78% of students experiencing conventional lessons. We believe this model generates more culturally-relevant, adoptable, and diverse STEM instructional resources while empowering the teachers and students that help create them. Ariel Zych and Xochitl Garcia, Science Friday
11:00am-11:15am	Walking Break
11:15am-12:15pm	Planning for the Future of Inclusive SciComm: Discussion on Next Steps, Ideas for Future Meetings, Regional Meetings, Etc. (Avedisian Hall, Room 170) Moderator: Sunshine Menezes, Metcalf Institute, University of Rhode Island To conclude the symposium, this discussion will address next steps for national and international efforts to advance inclusive scicomm. What kind of community do we want to build with these meetings? How can we break down silos between relevant fields to advance our practice and scholarship? How might we track local and regional efforts to keep the conversation going? Do you have any ideas about the State of Inclusive SciComm project based on your experiences this weekend? Join us to add your two cents on the future of inclusive scicomm!
12:15pm-1:15pm	Networking Lunch (Avedisian Hall Lower Lobby)
1:15pm-2:15pm	Focus Groups (Optional) (Avedisian Hall, rooms 207 and 105)