Communication is a critical part of the scientific process: It is how scientists share their discoveries with each other and non-scientists alike.
Communication is a critical part of the scientific process: It is how scientists share their discoveries with each other and non-scientists alike. Science communication helps us better understand ourselves, each other and the world in which we live. The landscape of science communication is changing, and scientists and science communicators face new challenges in reaching and engaging varied audiences. Our faculty pursue research aimed at understanding these challenges. We also explore how science communication in its various forms shapes perceptions of important issues in science and health.
Assistant Professor
Summary:
Dr Alexander Hall is a science communication expert whose work explores the history of science in popular media. With an interest in the role of science in society, he is committed to empowering more active participation and engagement with science across diverse communities. He has an extensive track record working on large multidisciplinary research projects, is a co-founder of the International Research Network for the Study of Science & Belief in Society, and a former History of Science Section Recorder for the British Science Association.
Research Interests:
Science communication, history of science, media studies, science and technology studies, environmental history
Dr Hall’s research traces how scientists have gained positions of expertise in society and used the media to communicate complex theories to the public. Focussing on the history of science in popular media, Dr Hall has published on a wide range of subjects from the history of evolution on TV and radio, to the importance of narrative in communications on climate change.
UG Teaching:
Science Communication for Professional Audiences (LIFESCI 3PP3/SCICOMM 3PP3)
Science Literacy (ISCI 1A24)
History of the Earth (ISCI 2A18)
UG Supervisor on:
Integrated Science Enrichment Project (ISCI 2A18)
Integrated Science Independent Project (ISCI 3A12)
Research Practicum (LIFESCI 3RP3)
Independent Project in Science Communication (SCICOMM 4A03)
Undergraduate Thesis Projects (e.g. LIFESCI 4C12/4C15 and ISCI 4A12)
Grad:
Narratives of Science (GEOG 721/SCICOMM 704)
Grad Supervisor on:
Creative Project in Science Communication (SCICOMM 702) Science Communication Research Project (SCICOMM 703)
Masters and PhD-level Thesis Projects
Associate Professor
Dr. Katie Moisse is a science journalist teaching science communication in the School of Interdisciplinary Science. Her stories have appeared in Scientific American, Spectrum and The Atlantic. She was Digital Health Editor for ABC News, leading the network’s national online coverage of countless outbreaks and other important health stories. She has a Ph.D in pathology from the University of Western Ontario, an M.Sc. in neuroscience from King’s College London and an M.Sc. in journalism from Columbia University.
Science communication, media, global health, public health
Dr. Moisse’s research examines the role of the media in shaping perceptions about health and science among non-scientists, as well as the role of creative storytelling in enhancing science comprehension and curiosity.
Courses:
LIFESCI 2AA3
LIFESCI 2G03
LIFESCI 3P03
LIFESCI 3Q03
LIFESCI 3XX3
LIFESCI 4E03
LIFESCI 4J03
LIFESCI 4L03
SCICOMM 2A03
SCICOMM 3P03
SCICOMM 701
SCICOMM 702
SCICOMM 703
Professor Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Science
Associate Member, Department of Physics & Astronomy
Dr. Sarah Symons is a Full Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Science and an associate member of the Department of Physics & Astronomy. She was educated in the UK, gaining a BSc Honours Degree in Mathematics and Astronomy and PhD in History of Astronomy in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Leicester. She began her career as an academic pedagogical project manager in the UK. At McMaster, she has been a pedagogical designer and teaching professor in the Honours Integrated Science Program and also teaches LIFESCI 4P03 Ancient Scientific Literature.
pedagogy, history of science, history of astronomy, Egyptology, science literacy
Sarah’s involvement in scholarship of teaching and learning includes pedagogical research in science education, educational consultancy focusing on active learning and assessment design, and collaborative projects with teaching-stream and interdisciplinary faculty internationally. She is particularly interested in science literacy and scientific skills development in science courses big and small. Her research outside pedagogy is in history of astronomy, concentrating on astronomical texts and instruments from ancient Egypt.
ISCI 1A24A/B, ISCI 2A18A/B, ISCI 3A12A/B, ISCI 4A12A/B, LIFESCI 4P03, SCICOMM 701
Additional Websites:
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