Science Soapbox

Spring has finally sprung — and with it, a new Science Soapbox episode! Stepping onto this month’s soapbox, we have one of our favorite climate scientists, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe. An atmospheric scientist at Texas Tech University, Dr. Hayhoe is known not only for her leadership in climate science, but also for her phenomenal outreach and communication work. She has effectively joined her identity as both an evangelical Christian and a staunch advocate for climate action to engage with communities that are traditionally thought to be skeptical of science. Her work is a testament to the power of bringing our full identities to our science and outreach efforts. We’ve been following Dr. Hayhoe on social media for years and were thrilled to chat with her about her approach to public engagement and how (and why) she finds hope in the face of our changing climate. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

A neuroscientist turned science communication expert, Dr. Mónica Feliú-Mójer understands all to well that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to public engagement with science. A Puerto Rican native, she is a prominent advocate for culturally relevant approach to science communication to increase access to the scientific endeavor and ensure that science serves society at large. In fact, the title of this interview — "ciencia para hacer patria" — loosely translates to the idea that science is for nation building. She has put her communication philosophy and expertise to use serving as the Director of Communications & Science Outreach for Ciencia Puerto Rico and the Associate Director of Diversity & Communication Training for iBiology. We had the incredible privilege of catching up with Mónica at the AAAS Annual Meeting in Austin where we got the chance to pick her brain about how she found science in Puerto Rico, how she has given back to her community through her bilingual science communication and mentorship endeavors, and why she believes science belongs to everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Another month, another podcast! Join the Science Soapbox team as we delve into a work that has inspired some of our science policy heroes — C.P Snow’s lecture ‘The Two Cultures’. Published in 1959, the brief lecture has received worldwide renown for addressing matters on the culture of science. We first heard of this work during our interview with Dr. John Holdren — President Barack Obama's former science advisor — and decided to read it ourselves to discuss on the podcast. While many things have changed since the time of this lecture, it provides a stepping stone and fascinating reference point towards the state of our contemporary science community. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

We close another year of Science Soapbox by learning about the battle being waged against plastic pollution in our waters and its impact on public policy and perception. We talk with Marcus Eriksen — science educator, researcher, and founder of 5-Gyres Institute — to hear about his advocacy on behalf of our planet's waters. He talks about his new book Junk Raft, which documents his three-month trip across the pacific on a raft made of recycled junk with a cessna hull for a cabin. Through our conversation, we learned about lobbying tactics used by the plastic industry and got to handle plastic trash from the ocean with bite marks from turtles and fish. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Congressman Joe Kennedy is as passionate as we are about STEM education, making it a priority for his district and the nation. So the Science Soapbox team was thrilled to visit his office to talk about what inspired his interest in STEM education and its relationship as a critical concern for our economy. The Congressman also discussed how his degree in Management Science and Engineering influences his outlook on policy, and how it's informed his concerns around the looming tax reform, especially its impact on graduate students. This episode was recorded one day before the House voted to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Bill, so we hope you find our conversation timely and useful. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

The Science Soapbox team always values an opportunity to talk with someone who brings multiple perspectives on science policy. So we were obviously thrilled to lend our soapbox to Dr. Harold Varmus, Nobel laureate and previous head of the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute. He currently runs a lab at Weill Cornell Medical College working on the molecular mechanisms behind the spreading of cancer. In this episode, Dr. Varmus shares his insights into setting priorities for a national agency, the purpose of Ph.D. training, and science funding reform. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Science Soapbox sits down with longtime friend, Dr. Sabriya Stukes. Sabriya received her Ph.D. in microbiology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and is currently the Assistant Director of the Master's in Translational Medicine program at City College. She has also been a longtime advocate for increasing diversity and awareness in the science fields for women and underrepresented minority communities. In this episode, we chat about the value of graduate science training and the merit of non-academic science careers. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

This week's soapbox belongs to Ploy Achakulwisut and Geoffrey Supran, who have made their mark as scientist-activists helping to lead divestment campaigns at MIT and Harvard University and the #StandUpForScience movement. Ploy is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Atmospheric Science in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. Geoffrey is a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society at MIT and in the Department of History of Science at Harvard University. In this episode, we chat about their career development and the need for more scientists to enter into the territory of activism. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Photo from Amanda Kowalski at ClimateTruth.org. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

In President Obama’s first Inaugural Address, he pledged to “restore science to its rightful place.” Integral to that promise was Dr. John Holdren, President Obama’s Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP). The Science Soapbox team has long been eager to chat with Dr. Holdren about the role he played in the Obama administration, so we were thrilled to travel up to the Harvard Kennedy School of Public Policy, where Dr. Holdren is now a professor. In this interview, Dr. Holdren shares his early inspiration for working at the intersection of science and society, his experiences serving President Obama, and his concerns around the current administration’s treatment of science. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Communicating science to the public is a key component of the scientific enterprise. So we sat down to chat with Jayde Lovell, who is host of the YouTube channel SciQ and founder of ReAgency, a PR firm focused on "science story telling." We talk with Jayde about how we can capitalize on the tools of marketing to promote science and why it is so important for scientists to understand the media. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

The Science Soapbox team paired up with the Rockefeller University Outreach Lab's Lab Out Loud [LOL] afterschool program to host a LIVE show starring Dr. Mandë Holford. A longtime friend of the show, Dr. Holford is a Professor of Chemical Biology at Hunter College, with an appointment at the American Museum of Natural History. Her work centers on studying the venom of killer snails to find disease treatments. A globetrotter herself, she also is one of the co-founders of the Science Diplomacy course that launched our show. In this episode, we talk about how her research goes "from beach to bedside" and explore the power of science diplomacy in the Paris Climate Accord. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox science diplomacyscience policyinternational relations

On May the Fourth, the Science Soapbox team sat down with appropriations expert Kei Koizumi to demystify the federal budget process. Kei served as the former assistant director for federal research and development at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) during the Obama administration. He is now a Visiting Scholar at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In this episode, we wind our way through the appropriations process, the importance of science for America's health and wealth, and the prospects of R&D in a galaxy far, far away.

The Science Soapbox team chatted with Rodney Nichols, one of the organizers of the Science Diplomacy class that inspired this podcast. Rod comes from an extensive background in academia and advocacy, having served as Vice President of The Rockefeller University, and President of the New York Academy of Science. We talk about his personal path to science diplomacy, the current state of affairs, and the grassroots efforts emerging throughout academic campuses. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

The Science Soapbox team meets before the March for Science on April 22nd to mull over why we march and what we're marching for. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

The Science Soapbox team sits down with Dr. Marga Gual Soler, Project Director at the Center for Science Diplomacy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Trained as a molecular biologist, Dr. Gual Soler traded in her lab coat to build a career for herself as a diplomat for science. In this episode, we chat about how she became a diplomat, why scientists should embed themselves into government, and new science diplomacy education programs under way at the Center for Science Diplomacy. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Science Soapbox gets a crash course in cybersecurity with nationally recognized expert Dr. Diana Burley. Dr. Burley is Professor of Human and Organizational Learning at The George Washington University and executive director and chair of the Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection (I3P). In this episode, recorded at the AAAS Science Diplomacy Meeting, we chat about what it means to work in cybersecurity, the need to recruit diversity into the workforce, and the role of diplomacy in keeping our worldwide cybersystems safe. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Dr. Sylvia Earle — also known as "Her Deepness" by the New Yorker and the New York Times — is a marine biologist, ocean explorer, conservationist, and author. With over 7,000 hours exploring the depths of our oceans, Dr. Earle shares her unique firsthand perspective on the need to preserve underwater habitats and the importance of storytelling in the endeavor to protect our waters. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox Photo from TEDx Woods Hole

Dr. Kelly Fleming is a chemical engineer, AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, and Policy and Advocacy lead for 500 Women Scientists — a grassroots advocacy organization started by four women in science following the 2016 election. By mid-November, the group had grown to 500 who signed onto an open letter pledging to stand up for scientific integrity and for women, minorities, immigrants, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA. Today, over 17,000 women have pledged their support. The Science Soapbox team sat down with Kelly to chat more about 500 Women Scientists' mission and how, with outreach, she hopes to promote an inclusive and diverse scientific community to solve global challenges. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox Photo courtesy of ClimateTruth.org.

Siddhartha Roy is a Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech and Communications Director of the Flint Water Study. His research under Dr. Marc Edwards led him to studying the citywide lead contamination in the Flint Water Crisis. In this interview, Sid shares his experiences working with the Flint community and his insights into how Academia can better serve the public good. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox Photo courtesy of Virginia Tech.

The Science Soapbox team chats with Danielle Fox — manager of the Science Network at the Union of Concerned Scientists — about UCS's latest watchdogging efforts to track science in the current administration, and about the role of scientists as advocates in democracy. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

In the wake of the 2016 Presidential election, Science Soapbox sat down with Dr. Lucky Tran — scientist and science communicator — for a conversation about the future of science activism at the dawn of a new administration. In this episode, we chat with Lucky about his experiences as an organizer, strategies to defend the scientific enterprise, and the need for scientists to stand up for and see each other. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Dr. Jessica Polka is the Director of ASAPbio and co-founder of The Future of Research. In this Abstract, Jessica shares her thoughts on the infrastructure of science and how young scientists can be grassroots agents of change in the research endeavor. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

The Science Soapbox theme wanted to take a few minutes to note why we are thankful for some pretty awesome things in the science advocacy sphere. Happy Thanksgiving listeners. We are thankful for you too!

Dr. Marnie Gelbart is Director of Programs at the Personal Genetics Education Project (PGEd), which seeks to “increase awareness and conversation about the benefits and ethical, legal, and social implications of personal genetics.” The Science Soapbox team sat down with Dr. Gelbart to chat about some of the programs she is leading, which include designing activities to be taught in schools and advising filmmakers on how they portray science and scientists. Trained as a biologist herself, Dr. Gelbart shares compelling insights into working to build two-way bridges between science and the public and why she is an optimist — a favorite subject of ours. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Trained as a biologist, Dr. Gary McDowell is the Executive Director of The Future of Research and runs the day-to-day operations of the organization, funded by a grant from the Open Philanthropy Project. In this episode, we chat about gaps in scientific training and how we can reform the system to better serve science and its practitioners. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

With the 2016 elections right around the corner, we sat down with Shaughnessy Naughton. Shaughnessy is she the founder of of the 314 PAC — a political action committee aimed at providing support for scientists interested in running for political office — and a recent contender for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District Democratic ticket. In this episode, we chat about engaging the scientific community, the state of politics, and the channels in between. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Science Soapbox chats with Dr. Adam Fagen, Director of the Early Career Scientist Segment at AAAS. In this episode, we talk early career community engagement, how we should think about graduate training, and what it means to be a 'Scientist.'

Dr. Rush Holt — current CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science — sat down to talk with the Science Soapbox team at the Advocating for Science Symposium organized by the Future of Research and the Academies for the Future of Science. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on the direction of the AAAS, building an appreciation for scientific evidence, and what graduate school isn’t teaching its students. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

This episode, Science Soapbox chats with Dr. Frances Colón, Deputy Scientific Adviser for the Secretary of State. As post-Cold War relations between the U.S. and Cuba have thawed, Dr. Colón has been at the forefront of some of the most tangible science diplomacy efforts bridging the two nations. We discuss the reality of bilateral exchanges in science diplomacy and the value of international role models for promoting women in STEM. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

UK Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Mark Walport joined Science Soapbox for our first ever live show on July 21st. In this episode, Science Soapbox chats about the distinction between scientific advice and scientific policy and the three lenses through which policy decisions are made. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Science Soapbox chats with Congressman Bill Foster about his path from particle accelerator to politics, the growing opioid epidemic, and what’s so freaky about the future of Artificial Intelligence. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Science Soapbox talks diplomatic relations with Iran, conservation, and the importance of optimism with science diplomat Dr. Alex Dehgan, currently the CEO of Conservation X Labs. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: @science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Science Soapbox chats about South African resources, the delicate balance between diplomatic scientific cooperation and competition, and even Trevor Noah with Daan du Doit, Deputy Director General of International Cooperation and Resources at the South African Department of Science and Technology. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: @science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

A month after LIGO's announcement of the discovery of gravitational waves, the Science Soapbox team sat down with Dr. Lynn Cominsky, physicist with the LIGO collaboration and Director of Outreach and Education at Sonoma State University, to chat about black holes colliding and using rockets to teach science. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: @science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

How can we make the scientific endeavor more open and transparent? Dr. Brian Nosek is taking on that very question as the executive director of the Center for Open Science, a non-profit technology company developing software that stands to revolutionize the practice of science. The Science Soapbox team chats with Dr. Nosek about the nature of scientific capital-T Truth, the dawn of the “Science Internet,” and why the graduate students of the future should be so jazzed about his Open Science Framework. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

As sexual misconduct in the academic sciences has gained more media attention, the Science Soapbox team headed down to Washington, D.C. to chat with Congresswoman Jackie Speier about how, and why, she’s brought the issue to the House floor. For show notes, visit http://sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

The Science Soapbox team sits down with Dr. George Church to talk everything from the dawn of CRISPR to the place of science fiction in society. Dr. Church is Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, leader of the Synthetic Biology Platform at the Wyss institute, and director of PersonalGenomes.org. This episode was recorded on January 21, 2016 in the Science Outreach Lab at Rockefeller University. Special thanks to Visager for music and to Marius Bugge for the photo. For more information and podcasts, visit http://sciencesoapbox.org/podcast.

Ellen Stofan Interview Part 1 by ScienceSoapbox.org

Ellen Stofan Interview Part 2 by ScienceSoapbox.org

Torsten Wiesel Interview Part 2 by ScienceSoapbox.org

Torsten Wiesel Interview Part 1 by ScienceSoapbox.org

Jesse Ausubel discusses international collaborations, science communication, and human enhancement with ScienceSoapbox