Seminar: Dr. Faith Kearns (Zoom)

Wednesday, September 22, 2021 | 4 PM

Getting to the Heart of Science Communication

Dr. Faith Kearns, scientist and science communication practitioner


Many science communication practitioners find themselves working on issues that are emotional, contentious, and sometimes traumatic. The traditional science communication tools of perfecting a presentation, message, or frame fall short in the face of these kinds of challenges. This talk will focus on a different way of approaching science communication with tools that include relating, listening, working with conflict, and understanding trauma, all with an eye toward justice and community care as covered in Kearns' recent book, Getting to the Heart of Science Communication (Island Press, 2021).

Event Speaker

Dr. Faith Kearns is a scientist and science communication practitioner. She writes about water, wildfire, climate change, and people. Her work has been published at New Republic, On Being, Bay Nature, and more. 

Kearns earned a bachelor's degree in environmental science, geology, and political science from Northern Arizona University and a doctoral degree from the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley. She has developed science communication projects at the Ecological Society of America, served as a AAAS Science and Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of State, managed a wildfire research and outreach center at UC Berkeley, and bridged science and policy advocacy efforts at the Pew Charitable Trusts. She currently works in a university water institute.