Become a More Inclusive and Effective Science Communicator

Advice and insights from sci-comm professionals on how to deliver your message so that everyone has the opportunity to engage with and benefit from scientific knowledge.

Published March 7, 2025

By Lydia Jennings, PhD, Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College
Elizabeth Bojsza, MFA, Assistant Professor of Practice, Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
Amy Sharma, PhD, Executive Director, Science for Georgia
Zamara Choudhary, MA, Program Manager, The New York Academy of Sciences

In fall of 2024, The New York Academy of Sciences (the Academy) partnered with 2030 STEM to produce a five-part series, titled Inclusion in STEM. The series supported the Academy’s commitment to broaden a sense of belonging in science by empowering everyone involved to contribute ideas that develop innovative solutions to society’s challenges.

One of the sessions focused on inclusive science communication, recognizing that a culture of inclusion in STEM necessitates scientific information be accessible to all communities and individuals. The Academy convened a panel of experts, each with their own unique background, who prioritize inclusive science communication in their practice.

Meet the Speakers

Lydia Jennings, PhD, Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College

In my professional training as an Indigenous soil scientist, I saw that far too often researchers come to study Indigenous communities and our ecosystems, but rarely report the results back in ways that are accessible, relevant, and culturally cognizant. I was trained to be very specific in my professional science jargon, but if I cannot share this information with the very people it pertains to, or my own family members, then how useful is it and how does it help them?

In my own path to becoming a science communicator, I began practicing by talking with friends and family about soils and my research, everyone from my nieces and nephews to my elders. I also incorporated my love of trail-running with how I share my scholarship about soils. Since there are many talented Indigenous runners, and it is how many of us know our homelands, every run became an opportunity to talk about the soil around us.

This helped me refine how I talk about soil in an accessible and concise way, get people out on the land together to run, and bring my own cultural values to my science communication. Every run became a chance to practice how I was explaining my science in accessible ways, and when I began to talk to the broader public about my work, people found my explanations both coherent and culturally grounded. In this way, my science communication became very authentic to who I am as a person.

Elizabeth (E-Beth) Bojsza, MFA, Assistant Professor of Practice, Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science

I have a background in theatre, and I have been an educator for many years. I am passionate about curriculum design, program evaluation, and educational equity and access.

In my theatre work, I am often the person providing feedback, asking questions, and putting myself in the audience’s point of view to better understand and inform how meaning is conveyed through choices we make. What I do in my science communication work is not all that different: science is communicated whether or not we are intentional about our message design, and whether or not we tailor our communication to our audience.

This also opens potential for bias to creep in. I think for science communication to be inclusive it needs to be intentional, and it needs to be collaborative in some way. You must have a clear goal and strategy for how you are presenting your information that considers your audience, the message you want to convey, and the possible outcomes of you delivering that message.

Amy Sharma, PhD, Executive Director, Science for Georgia

I was the science nerd in high school. I was also really interested in science outreach, from science tutoring to STEM activities for kids. I love science. I love engineering. I want everyone else to love it as well!

Science and facts have become increasingly politicized in the past 25 years. Facts distorted into weapons and belief systems. I grew up in the Washington, DC area–so policy is in my blood.

I currently run an organization that works to ensure science is activated outside of the lab and shared with others. It enables me to employ my love of science, my wanting to share it with the world, my frustration with world events, my love of policy, and my inability to walk away from issues that affect the people around us. Just like the hypothetical tree that falls in the forest, I believe research is not heard unless it is acted upon.

In academia, we reward communicating science in the most obtuse, inaccessible, jargon-filled way. While this earns people tenure, it does nothing for society or to welcome people into the tent. I’ve learned that to be a science communicator, I must be willing to be a lay-person first and scientist second. Respect is a two-way street. People will listen to me when I listen to them and empathize with their situation. Not because “I am a PhD and I said so.”

Key Takeaways to Strengthen your Science Communication

Empower communities, activate your research, and support your career by strengthening your science communication. Systemic change is necessary for making STEM more inclusive, but there are ways we can contribute to this process as individual science communicators.

It’s about the Five “W’s”: Who, What, When, Where and Why

To effectively determine HOW to communicate your message, you first need to know WHO is your audience? What is the age range you are speaking with? WHAT are the cultural contexts that might be familiar to your audience? What are issues of concern in the community that science helps champion? Use these questions to help explain the WHY of your message to your specific audience while enhancing engagement.

Effective communication of all types is best told through the “story of one.” Throwing large numbers around does not resonate with individuals who typically look for the “what’s in it for me” value proposition. If you are discussing advances in vaccine development, cite specific case studies WHERE it helped save lives, or conversely about the spread of a virus because of miscommunication about vaccines.

In the age of scientific distrust and misinformation, communicating information in an inclusive way is an opportunity to address misconceptions, fears, and false information directly, while building trust and encouraging action.

Listen and Ask Questions First

Communication is something we do with our audiences. Before we sprint ahead to showcase our expertise, we should intentionally shape our communication to hear from our audiences first. Be curious about their motivation to be your audience. What are their concerns, hopes, and/or issues that can help them to see value in your science communication? What do they care about and why would your message matter to them? What are their lived experiences in relation to what you are communicating that connects to your content? Remember, your audience has their own lived expertise that can expand your understanding of the content. It’s about the story of “one”!

An important part of science communication is co-learning with your audience. What we discover in remaining curious can help us adapt our messages to empathetically meet them where they are–what terminology they know, what prior knowledge they have, what they value, and how our science is relevant to their lives.

Less is More

When talking to people about a subject that might be new to them, our tendency is to overcompensate and pile on the facts, figures, and explanations. “How could someone possibly understand the energy grid without first understanding particle physics?”

Our audience is then almost guaranteed to become disengaged and overwhelmed. Instead think about: What is my goal here? If a person remembers only one thing from our conversation and then tells it to their neighbor, what do I want it to be? Ground your communication in that one thing. And then think about a way to get it to relate to your audience. Use that strategy to keep your science communication straightforward and oriented on your goal. Remember, the five “W’s” and the story of “one”! 

Tell Your Story and Share Your Knowledge with Everyone

We are all lifelong learners with knowledge to offer and to gain. As science professionals, we may be experts in our fields, but there is always so much to learn from those around us, regardless of their background or career stage. By connecting science with storytelling and shared experiences, we open avenues of communication that break down hierarchies and expose us to dynamic new ideas and perspectives. Our science and research are made better when we acknowledge all perspectives.

When sharing this knowledge, it is important to acknowledge and give credit to our sources, even if they may be nontraditional. As science professionals, we have an obligation and duty to be stewards of knowledge. We engage in this work because we believe in the ability of science to create a better world, and we are passionate about learning and getting others excited about science. A great science communicator not only contributes to their field, but also a more broader, well-informed citizenry that serves society as a whole.

Resources for Further Learning

• Inclusive Science Communication Resources: from University of Rhode Island’s Inclusive SciComm Symposium at the Metcalf Institute
• Run to Be Visible: short film by Lydia Jennings, PhD, where she honors Indigenous scientists of the past, present, and future
• Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science: located at Stony Brook University, the center provides professional development and graduate programs dedicated to science communication
• Science for Georgia: a nonprofit dedicated to getting science out of the lab and onto the street. Provides SciComm training, stand-up comedy training, and advocacy training and ways to act upon your knowledge.