‘Escape from the Ivory Tower: The Risks and Rewards of Making Your Science Matter’
The third annual Ransom A. Myers Lecture on Science and Society will be held Thursday September 23rd 2010 at 7 pm in the Potter auditorium of Dalhousie University’s Rowe Management Building, 6100 University Avenue. A reception will follow. Admission is free.
The Lecture: ‘Escape from the Ivory Tower: The Risks and Rewards of Making Your Science Matter’
The Lecturer: Nancy Baron, one of the world’s foremost science communication experts, has just published a critically acclaimed book titled “Escape from the Ivory Tower” that helps scientists explain complex research to the public and policy- makers. The book offers a window into the successes and failures of leading scientists reaching out to broader audiences and insider advice from well-known science journalists from around the world. One reviewer called it “ The definitive manual on communicating science effectively in an era of environmental change.” Baron’s talk will include stories about her experiences and collaborations with well- known Canadian scientists, including Ransom Myers, and key insights from her book about communicating science.
Background: Nancy Baron is currently a senior fellow with the National Center of Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) in Santa Barbara, California, and outreach director of COMPASS, the Communications Partnership for Science and the Sea. She and her team offer a wide range of workshops for academic, government and other scientists in North America and abroad. Her experience as both a Canadian National Parks biologist and a science writer inspired her to help bridge the gaps among scientists, journalists, and policy-makers. Baron has won numerous science writing awards including National Magazine, Science and Society and Western Magazine awards in Canada. An ardent naturalist, she also has led natural history expeditions around the world.
This Lecture Series commemorates the life and work of Ransom (RAM) Myers, a world renowned fisheries scientists and advocate for marine conservation who taught and conducted research at Dalhousie until his passing in March 2007. The annual Ransom A. Myers Lecture on Science and Society has been organized by his family, colleagues and former students and is supported by the President’s Office at Dalhousie University.