Let's Talk SciComm

Three years later and we couldn’t be more excited to be sharing Episode 100 of Let’s Talk SciComm with you. We are so proud to still be creating this podcast and couldn’t be more grateful to YOU, our fabulous listeners, for continuing to support us.  To celebrate reaching episode 100 and the end of Season 13, Jen and Michael decided to turn the spotlight inwards and ask each other some of our favourite quick-fire questions, with a few new questions thrown in for good measure. We hope the result is a fun conversation in which you can get to know us a bit better and learn something about effective science communication along the way.  We’ll be back with more episodes of ‘Let’s Talk SciComm’ and ‘Listen To This If…’ in February 2025 and in the meantime, we wish you all the best for a lovely Festive Season and hopefully holidays filled with fun and rest.  We’d love to connect with you here: Jenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-martin-scicomm/https://bsky.app/profile/scidocmartin.bsky.socialhttps://www.instagram.com/scidocmartin/ Michaelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-wheeler-3872b869/https://bsky.app/profile/michael-wheeler.bsky.social 

It’s hard to believe this is the 99th episode of Let’s Talk SciComm!  As you can imagine, we are very excited to still be producing our podcast three years and 99 episodes later. To celebrate, we invited the rest of our fabulous teaching team - Dr Catriona Nguyen-Robertson, Dr Linden Ashcroft and Dr Graham Phillips back to the podcast. The five of us spend half an hour reflecting on the highs and lows of our science communication experiences and what we’ve learned along the way about how to be more effective communicators. We hope you’ll find our reflections helpful! You can connect with us here: Jenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-martin-scicomm/https://bsky.app/profile/scidocmartin.bsky.socialhttps://www.instagram.com/scidocmartin/ Michaelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-wheeler-3872b869/https://bsky.app/profile/michael-wheeler.bsky.social Catrionahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/catrionanguyen-robertson/https://bsky.app/profile/nyuroscientist.bsky.socialhttps://www.instagram.com/nyuroscientist/ Lindenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/linden-ashcroft-08640b59/https://bsky.app/profile/lindenashcroft.bsky.socialhttps://www.instagram.com/lindenashcroft/ Grahamhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-phillips-80b3b920/https://www.instagram.com/grahamphillipsscience/

This week we had a fascinating conversation with speech pathologist and science communicator Dr Georgie Johnson. Georgie is a clinical researcher with an interest in childhood stuttering treatment and addressing the psychological impact of stuttering for children. Georgie completed her PhD in 2024 investigating management of stuttering during the school years. Part of this program of research was a treatment trial of an intervention to support 6-12 year old children who stutter from across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong. From this trial, Georgie and colleagues have published a range of freely accessible practical recommendations and clinical resources for community clinicians to use to optimise treatment outcomes for their school age clients. Georgie is also one of the Directors of the Stuttering Association for the Young Australia (SAY AU) and continues to work in the field to explore psychosocial support for young people who stutter.  You can follow Georgie and find out more about her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgie-johnson-5a87971b5/ https://bsky.app/profile/georgiejspeechpath.bsky.social  https://www.rrr.org.au/on-demand/segments/speech-pathologist-dr-georgie-johnson-on-supporting-stuttering-children https://healthsciences.unimelb.edu.au/departments/audiology-and-speech-pathology/news-and-events/meet-speech-pathology-phd-student-georgina-johnson You can find out more information about SAY AU and their programs for young people who stutter at www.sayaustralia.com.au

This week we had the most wonderful conversation with wildlife scientist, woman in STEMM/STEAM, science communicator, author and vessel operator, Dr Vanessa Pirotta. You’re going to love hearing Vanessa’s infectious enthusiasm for all things science and science communication.  Vanessa’s research uses innovative technologies for wildlife conservation. Vanessa works collaboratively across both marine and terrestrial environments merging cutting edge technology to access animals in unique ways. Most notable works include drones to collect whale snot and the use of computer algorithms and AI for the detection of illegal wildlife trafficking. Vanessa is a passionate and experienced science communicator who plays an important role in society by making science accessible across generations. Vanessa’s spoken on the TEDx platform and has been recognized by the Australian Financial Review as one of the top 100 Women of Influence and recently, a 2024 finalist in the Australian’s Museums Eureka awards for promoting understanding of science and winner of the 2024 Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards Emerging leader in Science. Vanessa is working collaboratively with indigenous knowledge holders such as the Gamay Rangers, to learn more about the marine mammals in our blue backyard but also identifying appropriate ways scientists can respectfully incorporate First Nations perspectives into marine research. Vanessa is also the lead scientist of the citizen science program Wild Sydney Harbour, connecting community with its blue backyard. Vanessa is also a proud children’s book author, with her book The Voyage of Whale and Calf, serving as an annual reminder of humpback whale biology and ecology in Australian waters. In 2024, Vanessa also released two additional books; The Humpback Highway: Diving into the mysterious world of whales and a second children’s book, Oceans At Night. Vanessa is a highly experienced presenter and was the invited MC for the prestigious Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science at Parliament House, Canberra in 2023/24. You can follow Vanessa and learn more about her work here: https://www.vanessapirotta.com/ https://www.wildsydneyharbour.com/ https://www.instagram.com/drvanessapirotta/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/drvanessapirotta/ https://www.facebook.com/DrVanessaPirotta/ https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/profile/dr-vanessa-pirotta/ https://x.com/vanessapirotta https://www.tiktok.com/@drvanessapirotta

This week we are lucky enough to chat with Linh Do, an incredible sustainability leader, educator, and climate justice advocate based in Melbourne, Australia. As Director of the Wattle Fellowship at the University of Melbourne, she cultivates the next generation of sustainability leaders through an innovative year-long program. With over a decade of experience across advocacy, media, and social enterprise sectors, Linh has worked globally to drive climate action and community engagement. Linh holds multiple leadership positions in the community, including chair of Climate Action Network Australia and a board member at the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation, and a research committee member at the Centre for Policy Development. She is a co-founder of the technology start-up OurSay and has previously led community organising at the Australian Conservation Foundation. Linh's work bridges diverse disciplines and sectors to create holistic approaches to complex environmental challenges. Prior to her current role, she served as the Australia and Pacific lead for The Climate Reality Project, Al Gore's climate leadership program; and as publisher and editor-in-chief of The Verb during the Paris climate negotiations. She has collaborated with diverse organisations, from high school students to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Reuters Foundation.  Externally, she has been recognised with for her sustainability leadership from Green Gown Awards Australasia Sustainability Leadership, as a Woman of Influence from the Australian Financial Review (AFR) and as the Australian Geographic Young Conservationist of the Year. You can follow Linh and learn more about her work here: https://www.instagram.com/linhloop/ https://www.instagram.com/wattlefellowship/ https://x.com/lmdo https://www.linkedin.com/in/linhmdo/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/wattle-fellowship/

This week we had the wonderful pleasure of catching up with one of our very own alumni! Rachael Vorwerk studied science communication with us many years ago and has gone on to forge an incredible career in the field. Rachael is a science communicator and freelance consultant who has been published in The Conversation, Cosmos Magazine and Eingana. She has helped scientists to share their research in BBC World News, The Independent, ABC and The Age, among others.  Currently Rachael works at RMIT University as the Science Communication, Education and Outreach Manager at a 7-year Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence, the biggest research funding scheme available in Australia. She works with a group of around 50 researchers spanning PhD students through to Distinguished Professors – and helps the team to make their research more accessible to broader audiences. You can follow Rachael and learn more about her work here: https://au.linkedin.com/in/rachael-vorwerk https://twitter.com/rachael_vorwerk Here’s how a TV series inspired the KeepCup revolution. What’s next in the war on waste? What role does Entertainment-Education play in the adoption and maintenance of sustainable behaviours: a case study of reusable coffee cups in millennials https://www.combs.org.au/ (The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Optical Microcombs for Breakthrough Science (COMBS); AKA the 7-year Research Centre where Rachael is currently working) https://climatethrive.com.au/  (Climate Thrive, the company Rachael co-founded)

This week it is a huge honour for us to speak with our long-time scicomm colleague Nancy Longnecker who is Emerita Professor of Science Communication at the University of Otago. She has collaborated in the production of communication resources and assessment of their effectiveness in work that is often multidisciplinary and cross-cultural. In a career spanning four decades, Nancy has produced both physical and virtual resources, including exhibitions, displays, podcasts, websites, and teaching resources. She has written over 100 books, book chapters and articles. Nancy has taught science communication and contributed to workshops in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, the UK, and Denmark and has supervised over 50 science communication research students from 17 countries. Nancy is thrilled with her recent exhibition – Hou Rongo: Moriori | Music | Manawa. Hou Rongo offered an immersive look at the home and culture of New Zealand's indigenous Moriori people, who are often neglected or misunderstood. This exhibition blended tradition with innovative technology to evoke the feeling of being on Rēkohu (Chatham Island) amid the realms of the etchu (deities). The exhibition used sacred cultural objects, large video projections and an atmospheric soundscape to transport visitors to this special place. Nancy says, ‘I am proud to have been a part of a talented multidisciplinary team of academics and cultural advisors. With the Hou Rongo exhibition and its legacy components, we are honouring Moriori culture and contributing to its revitalisation.’ You can follow Nancy and learn more about her work here:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-longnecker-7275ab66/ https://www.otago.ac.nz/science-communication/staff/longnecker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Longnecker Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/ym98

Welcome to Season 13 of Let’s Talk SciComm. We’re so thrilled to be kicking off another season as we head towards our 100th episode!  To get the season off to a fabulous start, this week we’re thrilled to talk with the incredible Sarah Firth (she/ her).  Sarah is based on Wurundjeri Country in Melbourne, Australia. She is an artist, writer, cartoonist, graphic recorder and animator, originally trained as a classical sculptor. She has received a Talking Difference Fellowship from the Immigration Museum, was a finalist in the Incinerator Gallery Award For Social Change and her comics were part of Eisner Award-winning and Ignatz nominated comic anthologies. Her debut graphic novel Eventually Everything Connects was shortlisted for The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2024, selected as The Age’s Non-Fiction Pick of The Week, ALIA’s Notable Graphic Novels of 2023 and one of The Best Graphic Novels Ever by Refinery29. You can buy Sarah’s brilliant book Eventually Everything Connects in Australia/ NZ here: http://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/daGy9Q And in US/UK/Europe here: https://www.graphicmundi.org/books/978-1-63779-068-7.html You can follow Sarah and learn more about her work here:  https://www.instagram.com/sarahthefirth/ http://www.sarahthefirth.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahthefirth/ https://www.facebook.com/SarahTheFirthCreativeServices https://twitter.com/sarahthefirth https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahthefirth Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/om98

You NEED to listen to this. In this week’s episode of ‘Listen to This If…’ Jen and Michael explore how to grab your audience’s attention. In just five minutes Jen and Michael will discuss everything you need to know to turn heads and captivate your audience. https://hbr.org/2023/07/3-ways-to-keep-your-audience-focused-during-a-presentation https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-ways-hook-your-audience-first-60-seconds-jaimie-abbott-mba-gaicd/ https://thespeakerlab.com/blog/attention-grabber-examples/ Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/kog8

Upcoming presentation got your palms sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy? Don’t worry, forget mum’s spaghetti, because we’re not going to let you miss your shot. Tune in to this week’s episode of ‘Listen to This If…’ where Jen and Michael give you all the tips and tricks to turn those shaky hands into a killer mic drop.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXHivnWyZyo https://hbr.org/2016/10/how-to-calm-your-nerves-before-a-big-presentation https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/discover-ucl/top-tips-overcoming-dreaded-presentation-nerve Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/w8g8

Doomscrolling getting in your way? Don’t worry! Jen and Michael have some great tips to break the scrolling cycle and get you back to your task. In this week’s episode of Listen to This If, we’re discussing addictive algorithms and what strategies you can employ to get off your phone and  back on track! https://hai.stanford.edu/news/psychiatrists-perspective-social-media-algorithms-and-mental-health https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2024/07/doomscrolling-breaking-the-habit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/news/2020/may/study-boosting-benefits-exercise https://catherineprice.com/phone-break-up-challenge Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/u778

Over the word count on an assignment? It can be stressful trying to trim the writing you’ve put so much effort into. Luckily in this week’s episode, Jen and Michael have some handy tips to wriggle down those words while keeping your writing sharp and relevant to the task. Tune in now! https://www.brandeis.edu/writing-program/resources/faculty/handouts/reverse-outlining.html https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/reading-aloud/ https://crosstalk.cell.com/blog/how-to-reduce-word-count-without-reducing-content Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/2d78

Got an interview coming up? Don't worry, Jen and Michael are here to help! In this five-minute episode, they'll give advice to make sure you're prepared for a perfect interview. From putting your mind at ease to carefully studying the job posting, Jen and Michael will provide you with practical tips that will boost your confidence and help you land the perfect job. Listen now and get ready for your interview! https://www.proclinical.com/blogs/2021-6/3-ways-to-make-a-good-impression-in-a-scientific-interview https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/for-young-people/job-interview-preparation/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpkegRmPgis https://www.askamanager.org/category/interviewing https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-02/how-to-nail-job-interview/9868736 Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/is78

We're thrilled to launch an exciting new series of our podcast, 'Listen To This If...'.  Jen and Michael will deliver a speedy, five-minute Friday fix packed with practical hot tips to tackle your toughest science communication challenges. Next Friday, we're starting with something we all want to know: how to ace a job interview! An enormous thank you to the University of Melbourne Science Communication students who form the production team for Listen To This If: Madeleine Kelly, Riccardo Petroni, Meiqi Peng and Lorne Whytcross. Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/9cc8

We’re ending Season 11 with a fabulous conversation with climate change communicator Dr Simon Torok. Simon is CEO and Director of Scientell, a science communication company that seeks to maximise the impact of scientific information. He distils technical information for non-scientific audiences to communicate the importance of science in our lives and its role in understanding the environment. Simon has a Graduate Diploma in Science Communication from the Australian National University, and completed a PhD in climate change science at the University of Melbourne. He has managed communication for CSIRO in Australia and for the Tyndall Centre in England. He was editor of the Helix and Scientriffic science magazines, and has published more than 200 newspaper, magazine and scientific journal articles. He has co-authored 20 popular science and climate change books, several of which have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean and Hungarian. You can follow Simon and learn more about his work here: https://www.scientell.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-torok-5570782/ https://x.com/Simon_Scientell

This week we absolutely loved speaking with highly skilled communications coach David Crisante. David has had a career in journalism, political speechwriting - including for Australia's Foreign Minister -  and science communications. These days he helps professionals to master storytelling techniques so that they’re more effective when communicating with stakeholders.  David is founder of the Sydney Comedy School, where students discover their unique communication styles and how they can be more confident and charismatic, in public speaking and in everyday life. He is the director of Future Science Talks, and in 2024 he took his Science Comedy Program around Australia, training hundreds of scientists in the art of using humour to build rapport with audiences. David’s career history includes reporting for the ABC and SBS, as well as an international correspondent in Tokyo for several years, where he specialised in reporting on the nuclear disaster of 2011. He was a political and crisis response specialist for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  David has managed a wide array of PR crises, such as international kidnappings, pirate attacks and the disappearance of MH370. You can follow David and learn more about his work here: https://www.davidcrisante.com/ https://www.futuresciencetalks.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcrisante/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-science-talks/ https://www.youtube.com/@FutureScienceTalks https://x.com/ScienceTalksAU

This week we were incredibly fortunate to speak with Dr Catherine Richards Golini in Switzerland. Catherine is a Healthcare Publications Editor at Karger Publishers, specializing in creating, developing, and editing resources for patients and HCPs. Holding a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Swansea University, and with published research on patient communication, she is also a skilled plain language writer and reviewer of plain language summaries and patient materials. With expertise in health discourse, medical communication,and patient communication, Catherine also brings a wealth of experience in educational course development and language assessment. She cofounded and served as director of EALTHY, the European teachers‘ association for medical and healthcare English, demonstrating her commitment to advancing medical language education. You can follow Catherine and learn more about her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinerichards/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/karger-publishers/ https://velocityofcontentpodcast.com/plain-language-summaries-go-beyond-language/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGWlf2RhM6k

This week we had the wonderful opportunity to talk with Sara Garfield - a true expert in communicating about science in English as a non-native language. Sara is a dedicated educator with a diverse academic and teaching background that spans multiple countries and disciplines. Raised in Italy speaking English at home, her early fascination with languages and literature has paved the way for her academic interests and teaching career. Her undergraduate studies led her to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Modern Languages and Literature from Università Cà Foscari Venezia in Venice, Italy. During this time, she specialised in English and French languages and literature. Throughout her studies, she worked as an English private tutor, proof-reader and translator. Her true passion, though, has always been teaching and language learning. That is what drove her to train as an English language teacher in London, UK. Seeking to deepen her understanding of language acquisition and pedagogy, she pursued a Master of Science degree in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition at Worcester College, University of Oxford, UK. Currently, she holds a permanent position as an English language instructor and course coordinator in the Department of Languages and Communication at the College of Science and Technology, University of Bordeaux. With a diverse teaching background, she has taught English for Specific Purposes and English for Science and Technology at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her teaching philosophy emphasises active pedagogy, student-led learning, and the integration of digital tools for enhanced engagement. Among her research interests are topics linked to science communication using English as a lingua franca in international settings, teaching methodologies, intercultural communication, and the relationship between language and thought. Her approach is interdisciplinary and dedicated to fostering students’ linguistic, intercultural and communication competencies. You can follow Sara and learn more about her work here: www.linkedin.com/in/sara-garfield-816569b9 Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/skb8

This week we were absolutely thrilled to speak with one of our favourite people: Tilly Boleyn. Tilly (she/her) is the Head of Curatorial, Science Gallery Melbourne, University of Melbourne. Basically, she’s a massive nerd, curious about the world and everything in it. She is a collaborative creature at heart and heads the team with a mixture of organisation, chaos, humour and sassy backtalk. She loves connecting people, making space for thought, and challenging people to back up their opinions in an imagined recreation of Mad Max Thunderdome. Her background is in museums, galleries, education, events, festivals, broadcasting and research. Originally a microbiologist, Tilly ran from the lab to the ABC, where she discovered a talent for science gossip – talking about other people’s science rather than doing her own. She then morphed into a curator and has created exhibitions on health, medicine, experimentation, the voice, engineering, sustainability, mental health, dark matter, identity and genders. Tilly is delighted by blurring the boundaries between science, art, design, technology, maths, engineering and large-scale-batteries-powered-by-human-urine. Currently she plots with scientists and artists to deliver a rolling series of innovative and thought-provoking shows to engage audiences with the bleeding edge of human knowledge. You can follow Tilly and learn more about her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tilly-boleyn-a5397535/ https://x.com/tillsify https://www.instagram.com/tillyboleyn/ https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/ockhamsrazor/art-science-gallery-giant-urine-battery/102998322 (Tilly’s Ockham’s Razor talk)  https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/166791 https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/560724 https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/inner-west/powerhouse-museum-curator-tilly-boleyn-feeds-leeches-who-are-part-of-an-exhibit/news-story/222bdadf317c15bb01c952e630d01631 Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/ekb8

This week we had a fabulous conversation with multi-award winning science journalist Dr Jackson Ryan. Jackson is a former molecular biologist and current freelance science journalist with a focus on longform and narrative non-fiction science writing. He served as the Science Editor at CNET.com between 2018 and 2023 and was the 2022 winner of the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism. In 2024, he is co-editing the Best Australian Science Writing anthology -- and you should buy it! His longform writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, The Monthly and Nature.  You can follow Jackson and learn more about his work here: https://www.jacksonwryan.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacksonryanscience https://x.com/dctrjack https://sjaa.org.au (Jackson is President of the Science Journalists Association of Australia) https://www.linkedin.com/company/science-journalists-association-of-australia You can read Jackson’s Antarctica stories here: https://linktr.ee/dctrj Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/i4b8