PART II
In this second part we continue our conversation with Fanuel Muindi, Ph.D., on science communication, science education and science advocacy, and about the important role of the STEM Advocacy Institute (SAi) in this space.
Q: Why do you think it’s important to bridge the gap between science and society?
F.M.: It is very critical as there remain many gaps especially when we think about issues of access. Access to resources. Access to information. Access to education. Access to opportunities. It is one of the reasons why organizations like the National Science Foundation (NSF) are investing heavily in this space. They have gone as far as requiring that all submitted grants must include a broader impact section in order to be eligible for funding. They’re not the only ones. The Sloan Foundation and the Simons Foundation are also investing heavily in this space, and universities are also slowly catching up as well. I think the overall culture towards public engagement, outreach, and citizen science is moving in the right direction. I won’t be surprised if these components start to get formally integrated into graduate school curriculums. A positive sign of change is seeing more and more Ph.D. trainees transitioning into diverse jobs, such as policy, administration, business development, editorial roles and entrepreneurship. Such transitions provide more opportunities for those individuals to connect science and society.
Q: Can you speak about your work in developing countries of Asia and Africa?
F.M.: Most of our work at SAi has been based in the US. We want to do more ground work in Asia and Africa but we are currently not at a stage where this is possible. We do have a partner in Kenya that we’re working with and we’re now exploring opportunities in Uganda and India.
Q: What do you think are the challenges for science education in developing countries? At what level of education are these challenges most pronounced, school education or college/ higher education?
F.M.: It depends on which system. Each phase of education has its own problems. Ultimately, you have to think about it holistically. However, I would say you have to start from day zero when they start going to school. Forget about science education. The first issue would be to get an education, period. We need to think deeply about access to resources. Do the students have access to teachers?Classrooms? Books? Internet? Lab Space? Early access to such resources is very important.
If people forget everything I said, please try to remember this one thing – start small!
Q: Advocacy is a key component of the SAi. How do you train someone who is interested in advocacy?
F.M.: One can do advocacy in many ways. One of the ways is to build things. Our SAi Fellows Program is where we provide such training. The program mentors and supports graduate students with early stage project ideas which aim to increase public understanding and engagement with science. We encourage outside-the-box ideas that utilize creative ways to engage communities that have been traditionally underrepresented and underserved. Fellows receive both professional and project development support on theory, design, implementation, and evaluation.Past Fellows have designed diverse approaches to various problems and I am excited what future fellows will design. Another way to do advocacy is through research. We have published a number of articles where we highlight a particular problem and at the same time, share our ideas for possible solutions. So again. One can do advocacy in many ways.
Q: You have emphasized the importance of science communication. Do you have any advice for undergrads and graduate students to pursue this avenue? Do you suggest any platforms that will be useful to them?
F.M.: Practice. Practice. Practice. I would recommend trainees to seek out opportunities to do some science communication across the many platforms out there. I suggest people to tune in, listen, and learn as much as you can. Find out what are the gaps in their medium and how you can contribute in that space. A lot of the stuff is free, some of which is available online on YouTube. There are other channels where people share free advice. Again, just start by listening in. The key here is to start small and start participating. If people forget everything I said, please try to remember this one thing – start small!It’s about doing the small things. It adds up over time.
Q: The role of science communication has been more critical than ever in the times of COVID-19. What are your thoughts?
F.M.: The COVID-19 pandemic is clearly exposing the critical role of connections between science and society. Science communication has been crucial in helping people really understand what’s going on and adhering to the advice of the experts. The scientific community has risen up to the challenge to educate the community. The number of resources for kids impresses me; there are some great illustrations that inform about the virus and the disease. We have also interviewed a number of science communicators and asked what they are doing with respect to Covid-19. There are some wonderful initiatives out there. Learn more about it here: www.stemadvocacy.org/scicomm-and-covid-19/
The COVID-19 pandemic is clearly exposing the critical role of connections between science and society. Science communication has been crucial in helping people really understand what’s going on and adhering to the advice of the experts.
Q: Do you have any experience with advocating for science with the political class?
F.M.: Not really. In order for SAi to maintain it’s tax-exempt status, there are strict limits to engaging politically (especially campaigning).
Q: Do you foresee a role in affecting science policy in the future?
F.M.: Understanding what the policies are, how they are created, how are they formulated, that is a dimension we might be interested in. Our role would be purely academic in an effort to provide the tools to digest and deconstruct.
Q: How do you think volunteer-based organizations like SAi or STEMPeers could become sustainable in the long run?
F.M.: We are non-profit right now and most of our funding comes from grants. But we don’t rely on a single source of revenue because that can be a challenge. We constantly try different avenues to provide sustainable and predictable income. But my suggestion to organizations is to diversify their sources. I think that’s one of the keys to sustainability. However, it is critical to ensure all the activities remain connected to the larger mission whatever that may be.
Q: One final question, what are your interests other than SAi, and do you manage to get time for that?
F.M.: It’s very important to do other things as well. When I do have free time, I love walking and running. I’m also into photography, so I find time to do that as well. It is important to do other things in order to reset and recharge. Your brain needs it.
Author and Editor:
Sumbul Jawed Khan is a Ph. D. in Biological Sciences and Bioengineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, where she studied the role of microenvironment in cancer progression and tumor formation. During her post-doctoral research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she investigated the gene regulatory networks that are important for tissue regeneration after damage or wounding. She is committed to science outreach and communication and believes it is essential to inspire young people to apply scientific methods to tackle the challenges faced by humanity. As an editor, her aim is to simplify, translate, and excite people about current advances in science.
Editors:
Saurja Dasgupta is originally from Kolkata, India. He obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, where he studied the structure, function, and evolution of catalytic RNA. He is currently doing his postdoctoral research at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, where he is trying to understand the biochemical milieu that could have given birth to life on earth (and elsewhere) and reconstruct primitive cells. One of his scientific dreams is to observe the spontaneous emergence of Darwinian evolution in a chemical system. When not thinking about science, Saurja pursues his love for the written word through poetry and song-writing (and meditating on Leonard Cohen’s music). His other passions are trying to make science easier to understand, and fighting unreason and pseudoscientific thinking with a mixture of calm compassion and swashbuckling spirit.
Roopsha Sengupta is the Editor-in-Chief at ClubSciWri. She did her Ph.D. at the Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna, and postdoctoral research at the Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, UK, specializing in the field of Epigenetics. During her research, she was involved in many exciting discoveries and had the privilege of working and collaborating with a number of inspiring scientists. As an editor for ClubSciWri, she loves working on a wide range of topics and presenting articles coherently, while nudging authors to give their best.
Illustrators:
Disha Chauhan did her Ph.D. in IRBLLEIDA, University of Lleida, Spain in Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology. She has post-doctoral experience in Cell Biology of Neurodegenerative diseases and is actively seeking a challenging research position in academia/industry. Apart from Developmental Neurobiology, she is also interested in Oncology. She is passionate about visual art (Illustration, painting, and photography) and storytelling through it. She enjoys reading, traveling, hiking, and is also dedicated to raising scientific awareness about Cancer. Follow her on Instagram.
Saurabh Gayali recently completed his Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology from the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (JNU, New Delhi). Currently, he is DBT RA at IGIB (New Delhi), and his research focuses on finding binding associations of Indian plant metabolites with human pathogen proteins, creating a platform for future plant extract-based drug discovery. He has a keen interest in data analysis, visualization, and database management. He is a skilled 2D/3D designer with a specific interest in scientific illustration. In leisure, Saurabh plays guitar and composes music, does photography, or practices programming. Follow him on Instagram.
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