Please see the opportunity below from our colleagues at the Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship. It looks like a great talk on visual science communication!

The lecture is titled “The Value of Visuals in Science Communication” and will be delivered by Mark Belan, a McMaster alum who is now a working science illustrator – browse Mark’s portfolio;

Hybrid Lecture: “The Value of Visuals in Science Communication” by Mark Belan, Scientific Graphics Journalist
December 6 | 12:30-1:30pm
Learn more and register | Open to all

Image description: Poster text reads “December 6 | 12:30-1:30pm. Hybrid Lecture by Mark Belan. The Value of Visuals in Science Communication. u.mcmaster.ca/scds-events.” Poster includes a photograph of Mark Belan and a detail of a data visualization showing the evolution of life.

Lecture Abstract: Science research relies on data to describe theories and stories, but communicating the complex, sophisticated, or sometimes esoteric information and relationships within these data is limited. Visual storytelling is becoming increasingly important in a data-driven world: from data visualizations to diagrammatic illustrations, telling science stories requires a visual component. The reasons for this lie in the way we process information.

This talk by Mark Belan (Scientific Graphics Journalist) will introduce the basics of visual perception, its benefit to science communication efforts, and how anyone can manipulate design theory to create visuals (of whatever skill level) to tell impactful, effective, and ultimately better science stories.

About the Speaker: Mark Belan is a scientific graphics journalist and visual communicator, working at the intersection of art and science to translate scientific concepts into impactful visuals. With two Master of Science degrees (one in Geochemistry/Astrobiology, another in Biomedical Communications), his work and past experience as a researcher has led him to champion the values of visual storytelling when communicating complex and sophisticated ideas, especially in science. Mark is based in Toronto, Canada and yearns to make science more accessible to everyone, with all forms of visual media. Learn more about Mark at www.artscistudios.com.

This event is hosted by the Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship. If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Sherman Centre’s Coordinator Veronica Litt at littvs@mcmaster.ca