Science Communication Boot Camp: An American Association for Anatomy program to empower members with skills in effective public communication strategies

Abstract

As scientific fields have become more complex in the 21st century, some Americans have given up trying to understand what we do, leading to science illiteracy. Although scientists have reached consensus on many issues, such as climate change accelerated by humans, and evolution, the public and (American) elected officials have not always accepted this consensus. According to the Pew Center, there is a wide gap between scientists’ and the public’s perception of how science is used to inform government policy. Without expert voices communicating science to the public and policy‐makers, fields like healthcare, climate science, and evolutionary biology—all fields that are inextricably linked to anatomy—have been overrun with conspiracy theories and misinformation.The timing is right to make science communication a fundamental part of doing science. And to do that, we must train our students/faculty in the skills necessary to be effective communicators. Over the last several years, the American Association for Anatomy (AAA) has prioritized professional development in science communication for researchers, educators, and practitioners at its annual meeting. Furthermore, AAA recently adopted a new strategic plan which brings science communication front and center, where the public is engaged through the promotion of anatomical sciences. To support this new science communication initiative, AAA hosted its inaugural Science Communication Boot Camp (SCBC) on the campus of Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis in July 2019. This three‐day program brought participants together to learn effective communication skills from the faculty of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and from representatives of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology science policy staff. This talk reports on the SCBC program and demonstrates some of the hands‐on activities employed.Support or Funding InformationThis study was granted exempt status by the Institutional Review Board of Indiana University School of Medicine. Funding was provided by the AAA Innovations Grant Program and the Indiana University School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs, Professional Development, and Diversity.