Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science

Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
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Name	Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
Formation	2009
Headquarters	Storrs, Connecticut
Location	University of Connecticut
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Alison M. Alda

Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science was established to improve dialogue between scientists and the public by teaching researchers to communicate clearly and persuasively. The center draws on techniques from performance arts and journalism to train faculty, students, and professionals, engaging audiences from museums, media outlets, and policy forums. Its programs intersect with initiatives at universities, cultural institutions, and governmental agencies to extend science communication across sectors.

History

The center emerged in 2009 amid dialogues involving Alan Alda, University of Connecticut, National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and funders such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and National Science Foundation. Early collaborations included partnerships with the Marine Biological Laboratory, Museum of Science, Boston, Smithsonian Institution, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, reflecting influences from practitioners like Jon Stewart, Carl Sagan, David Attenborough, Richard Feynman, and E. O. Wilson. Its formation paralleled initiatives at institutions such as Stanford University, Harvard University, Princeton University, and Yale University to professionalize public engagement and reflect practices featured by communicators like NOVA (television program), PBS, and BBC.

Mission and Programs

The center’s mission aligns with aims of entities including the Kavli Foundation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Wellcome Trust to enhance public understanding of research. Programs integrate methods from theater traditions exemplified by Broadway, Royal Shakespeare Company, and performers like Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, and Viola Spolin, alongside journalistic norms found at The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and The Guardian. Public-facing offerings have been showcased at venues such as Carnegie Mellon University, California Academy of Sciences, New York Public Library, and during events like SXSW and AAAS Annual Meeting.

Training and Workshops

Workshops emphasize improvisation, message framing, narrative, and media training, drawing pedagogical inspiration from programs at Juilliard School, Yale School of Drama, and Tisch School of the Arts. Trainees have included investigators affiliated with NIH, CDC, EPA, NASA, and DOE, as well as scholars from Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, and University of Pennsylvania. Formats range from brief seminars for staff at Brookings Institution and RAND Corporation to multi-day residencies modeled after fellowships at Fulbright Program and Rhodes Scholarship workshops.

Research and Impact

The center conducts pedagogical research and program evaluation in concert with academic units such as the UConn School of Engineering, UConn School of Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, and external partners like King's College London, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford. Studies have examined outcomes similar to investigations by Pew Research Center, Gallup, and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, comparing techniques used by figures including Jane Goodall, Paul Farmer, Atul Gawande, Mary Roach, and Oliver Sacks. Impact metrics are reported in venues such as Science (journal), Nature (journal), PNAS, and presentations at conferences like Society for Neuroscience and Association for Psychological Science.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The center has collaborated with media producers at NPR, PBS NewsHour, TED Conferences, and Television Academy producers, and with cultural partners including American Museum of Natural History, Field Museum, Natural History Museum, London, and Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Academic and funding collaborations span National Institutes of Health, National Endowment for the Humanities, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and international programs coordinated with UNESCO and World Health Organization.

Notable People and Leadership

Leadership and faculty have included artists, journalists, and scientists associated with institutions such as Harvard Medical School, Columbia Journalism School, Stanford School of Medicine, and MIT Media Lab. Visiting instructors and alumni have featured professionals who have worked with BBC World News, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and authors connected to Scribner, Penguin Random House, and Oxford University Press. Advisory boards and supporters include figures from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Pulitzer Prize winners, and recipients of honors such as the MacArthur Fellowship and National Medal of Science.

Category:Science communication organizations