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The Personality Quiz

The Results

Although the quiz may have given you two specific categories to look into, the world can (and should!) be your oyster. All of these categories just scratch the surface of what's possible in science communication and advocacy, and none of them are silos — they all have intersecting skills, jobs, and values. If you're hoping to learn from people who've been there before, check out the Interviews page to hear from real people about where they started, where they are now, and everything in between. Good luck on your journey!
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Jump to a category:
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Science Writing & Journalism
Science writing and journalism is all about writing for a lay audience. Science writers are focused on spreading scientific knowledge and discoveries to the general public, especially those who lack access to scientific information. Many science journalists are particularly focused on solutions journalism, a type of writing that uses positive case studies and successes to explain a problem, rather than writing just about the problem itself.
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One outlet particularly focused on solutions is a publication called Ensia Magazine. They're always open for freelance pitches, they pay well, and they are part of a consortium of nonprofit news outlets designed to tell solutions-oriented stories and solve global problems. Another outlet for science journalism is The High Country News, which is particularly focused on the Western United States. There's Mongabay, a more globally-focused outlet that writes about wildlife and conservation, among other things. There's also more expert-focused outlets like Scientific American or The Scientist
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One of my interview subjects, Kate Golembiewski, runs the science communications coming from Chicago's Field Museum, and she has a big job: "The overall goal of what I’m trying to do is letting people know that the Field Museum, in addition to being a place where you go on field trips or maybe you visit when you’re on vacation, is an active scientific research institution. That, behind the scenes, there are hundreds of people who are discovering amazing things that really make a big difference in the real world that we’re all living in."
 
Science writers and journalists do not need to be scientists themselves, but if they are, that background is immediately helpful in the field. Many take on certain "beats," meaning they specialize in specific topics, such as medicine, climate change, or robotics. The job requires good interviewing and writing skills, and sometimes an ability to work on deadline when breaking news occurs. Kate loves being on deadline: "Sometimes you have to turn around a press release in 24 hours and that makes me feel alive," she told me. 
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If you're interested in entering a field like this, the best thing you can do is start writing, even just as a personal blog. Read a lot, especially work from outlets you'd like to write for. Think about connecting with online writing support groups on Facebook, or find like-minded people on Twitter. Take a (free) online course in journalism from the Knight Center at the University of Texas. Join an affinity organization like the National Association for Science Writers or the World Federation of Science Journalists.
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Hear more from Kate and everyone else I interviewed here.
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Local Activism & Community Outreach
People in this field are often interested in making change close to home, in their own communities, although what that means can be very different for each person. Some get involved in planning local protests or sending groups to city council meetings to speak up on important issues. Others volunteer for community organizations or projects, such as beach and park clean-ups or making phone calls to garner support for a local issue.
 
One of my interviewees, Kilan Ashad-Bishop, lives and works in Miami, where her work as a postdoctoral researcher takes up most of her time. But she's also the vice-chair of Miami's Climate Resilience Committee, where she brings her knowledge of public health and systemic inequality into the committee's conversations about sea level rise, resource access, affordable housing, disaster relief, and more.
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Kilan's advice? Go beyond traditional networking — instead, teach your community about your desire for something beyond typical roles in science. Hear it from her: "I don’t know that when I was in the process of switching fields that I worked my network the way that I should have. I think I could have been more vocal about the fact that I was looking for something that would allow me to bridge my love for science and education and outreach, and let people come up with a job description for me."
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Local activists often work full-time elsewhere and do this work in their free time, but that's not the case for everyone. There are full-time opportunities in outreach and community engagement at local nonprofits, businesses, schools, or universities. Local activism and policy work doesn't always have to mean protests — it absolutely can, but it can also mean providing an essential service to a community that needs it.
 
What that ultimately entails depends on each person's unique community. Checking if your community has a local chapter of a national organization can be a great place to start: The Sunrise Movement, Sierra Club, Health Activist Network, and 350.org are just a few ideas.
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Hear more from Kilan and everyone else I interviewed here.
 
STEM Education & Empowerment
Working in STEM education and empowerment often means working with kids and their families, but empowering others to explore STEM fields and enjoy science doesn't have to be age-restricted. People in this field could work in museums, like one of my interviewees, Aimee Davis. Aimee is the Field Museum's director of learning, where she finds new ways to excite visitors every day.
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But sometimes, STEM empowerment doesn't have to be so concrete. At the University of Auckland in New Zealand, JJ Eldridge is a professor of astronomy and the faculty advisor for a number of queer student groups. As a queer person in a position of power in academia, they are passionate about making academia a safer place for queer students, ensuring that everyone has equal opportunities. To them, this work is science communication, too: "My advocacy for the inclusion of trans and gender-diverse people is, in some ways, still science communication. Many of the myths around trans people come about because people don't understand the science of people."
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Aimee talked about the museum's extensive internship program, which has opportunities for high school students through postdocs. For people already in the workforce, she herself switched careers from classroom teaching to her role now, and has some good advice: "My advice to myself would be not to worry about the end point but just to enjoy the journey. When I first graduated from college, working at a museum never really even occurred to me, and it’s been mostly just taking advantage of opportunities that come my way."
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There's yet another way to get involved in STEM empowerment projects. Two of my interviewees, Earyn McGee and Ana Maria Porras, are IF/THEN Ambassadors with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The mission of the project is to bring more young women into science and break down barriers to access. Each ambassador's role is different, so check out their interviews to learn more about why these issues matter to them and what they're doing about it.
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Hear more from Aimee, JJ, Earyn, Ana, and everyone else I interviewed here.
 
Science Policy & Politics
People in these fields tend to focus on big picture political change, whether that's actual politics or simply science policy. This could involve anything from working with political candidates or officials on their science-related policies and platforms, to working for a place like the National Academies for Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on higher education equity and policy, like Arielle Baker, one of my interview subjects. 
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Here's what they have to say about their work: "I had always stayed away from the concept of science policy because I am not a very outwardly political person. Sure, I’m civically engaged, but I don’t actively campaign for government officials or write congressional memos during my spare time. I think I’m more interested in policy with a lowercase ‘p’, specifically institutional policies."
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Arielle's advice for people looking to enter this field (and any other)? Informational interviewing. By finding people doing interesting work, and asking how and why they do it, you can discover your interests and carve out your own path. In our interview, Arielle stressed that their email inbox is always open for people interested in discussing higher education policy, sexual harassment policy, or their personal journey. 
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A tangible way to get involved in the science policy space is through fellowships. Arielle recommended a number of them in our interview, including the one that got them involved in science policy: The Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Fellowship at the Academies. You can view the rest of their suggestions at the end of their interview.
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Hear more from Arielle and everyone else I interviewed here.
 
Twitter, YouTube, & Other Social Media Outreach
We've all read the thinkpieces about how much social media is changing people's access to information, and scientific information is no different. #ScienceTwitter is alive and thriving, and tapping into that can be a powerful tool to get information about important issues out there into the world. Corina Newsome, one of my interviewees, got involved in science communication online with the #BlackAndSTEM hashtag, where Black scientists can come together in community. 
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For Corina, being open on Twitter is about being the role model she'd always wanted, another Black woman in a wildlife field: "I have often done a lot of work just to psyche myself up to think that I can do something simply because I don’t see other people doing it, and that’s an energy expense that a lot of Black people experience. You have to convince yourself that you can do it because you have not seen it modeled."
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But this is the internet. Rude private messages and argumentative people who just want to start fights are only two of the ways this work can get complicated. Another interview subject, Sarah Olson, is passionate and vocal online despite these challenges. She shared with me how she handles it: "My goal with responding to hate is to show that we cannot only rise above derogatory remarks, but we can make those voices of discouragement a little quieter. Giving 'outrage attention' to people who spread messages of hate and bigotry only fuels them. There are ways to respond and criticize their message without amplifying their voice and platform.”
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Sarah's mission to educate the Twitterverse about feminism, equity, and science comes from her own history growing up in a religious, anti-science household. She loves reading science nonfiction and runs her own blog that is a companion to her Twitter account. Part of the reason she's been so successful (in this writer's opinion!) is because she's genuine and honest online. Just spend a few minutes reading her posts and you know she cares deeply about what she's saying.
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Luckily, joining Twitter is one of the easiest actions to take. Almost everyone interviewed in this project has a Twitter — so start following them, and look through their follow lists to see who else you might connect with! The internet can seem like an endless void, but when you find your niche, then it's all yours.
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Hear more from Corina, Sarah, and everyone else I interviewed here.
JRNL
Activism
STEM
POLICY
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