Many scientists and researchers are spending more time than ever thinking about how to make their work, laboratories, and classrooms equitable, accessible, welcoming, and inclusive to others. The same is happening in the world of science communication, causing scientists to reflect on what it means to embed inclusive practices into their communication pathways.

At the most recent Amplify: Conversations about Science Communication event, UW College of the Environment Dean Lisa Graumlich welcomed Metcalf Institute at the University of Rhode Island Executive Director Sunshine Menezes to talk about inclusive science communication (ISC). Menezes is a leader in this space and has hosted two symposiums to unpack what ISC really means.

“My thinking on inclusive science communication is constantly evolving,” says Menezes. “It’s a complete paradigm shift that centers and acknowledges histories of oppression and discrimination; it centers the voices, experiences, and knowledge of marginalized communities, and it really focuses on equity and intersectionality. It’s about questioning power and privilege.”

Menezes and Graumlich explored these topics and ideas around how to build inclusive approaches to communicating science into our own lives. They talk about what ISC looks like in action, some key traits to bring it to life, and ways to start incorporating it into our everyday practice, now and over the long term. We invite you to listen to their conversation.

Additional Resources:
The State of Inclusive Science Communication: A Landscape Study from the Metcalf Institute
Inclusive SciComm Resource Guide (crowdsourced)
Getting to the Heart of Science Communication by Faith Kearns