On March 2, as the final installment of the Covid Conversations series, ESAL spoke with three active members of the science communication scene to learn more about civic engagement. The discussion includes methods for effectively communicating with one's own local government, communication styles among scientists, and vaccine distribution.

ESAL had the opportunity to speak with Queens Deputy Borough President Rhonda Binda, a native of Queens, who has been spearheading the endeavor to ensure the borough becomes a model smart city and remains prosperous.

Lydia Tackett a professor of geosciences who discovered her passion for paleoecology while in graduate school in the west. She is also the District 44 (Cass County, ND) Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party Chair. ESAL interviewed Tackett about her combined passions for “playing in the dirt, crackin’ rocks for fossils, and civic engagement.”

Tepring Piquado discusses her journey from the field of neuroscience to running for public office. Read about her experiences with the California Council on Science and Technology, and her transition into the legislative process from academia.

This is the fourth installment of ESAL Founder & Chair Arti Garg's diary of her participation in a policy innovation workshop on community safety. Garg discusses the role of empathy in local policy-making, and how engineers and scientists can get comfortable with subjective evidence.

ESAL spoke with Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence (CHCC) Director and wildlife biologist Kevin Crooks, and with Assistant Professor and conservation psychologist Rebecca Niemiec about the Center’s role in the reintroduction of gray wolves to Colorado and associated public engagement efforts.

This is the third installment of ESAL Founder & Chair Arti Garg's diary of her participation in a policy innovation workshop on community safety. This post discusses how stating assumptions can enable progress in policy-making when there is uncertainty about the causes of a problem.

This is the second installment of ESAL Founder & Chair Arti Garg's diary of her participation in a policy innovation workshop on community safety. This post discusses how even when evidence is inclusive, scientific approaches can provide value in policy-making.

This is the first installment of ESAL Founder & Chair Arti Garg's diary of her participation in a policy innovation workshop on community safety. This post discusses why she believes a community-driven process can provide innovative new solutions.