Center for Science Communication

The JMC Center for Science Communication brings together experts, professionals, and students in pursuit of research-driven strategies for understanding the communication of science and science-related topics.

We define science broadly to include interwoven topics and issues related to agriculture, environment and natural resources, energy, food, human health (including “one health” issues), nutrition, risk, technology, veterinary medicine and animal health.

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We are a hub for interdisciplinary, stakeholder-engaged scholarship in science communication.

Our goal is to foster better communication outcomes in pursuit of socially sustainable agricultural, environmental, and health systems.

Through research, teaching, mentoring, training, and outreach, we help stakeholders communicate effectively about science and provide expert solutions to science communication problems.

Student Involvement

Many students are involved in projects tied to the Center. Undergraduate students have internships, part-time work, portfolio pieces, and class projects in science communication.

Graduate students work in research assistantships or hourly research appointments to gain both science communication work experience and research experience. Often, students find opportunities to tie their honors thesis, master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation to one of the projects.

Our Team

Learn more about our faculty and researchers who are a part of the CSC.

Katie Abrams

  • Associate Professor

Ashley Anderson

  • Associate Professor

Joe Champ

  • Associate Professor

Jennifer "Jamie" Folsom

  • Senior Instructor

Marilee Long

  • Professor and Department Chair

Samuel M. Tham

  • Assistant Professor

Jaime Jacobsen

  • Assistant Professor
  • Director, Center for Science Communication

Gayathri Sivakumar

  • Associate Professor

Our History

From its inception, the Department of Journalism and Media Communication’s trajectory has been based on the values of awareness, adaptability, and convergence. JMC was born out of the sciences and the humanities. From the start, CSU leaders charged the department with maintaining a strong research base while also providing state-of-the art communication and technology education. In combination this would supply students with the knowledge and skills to keep pace with the challenges of sharing meaningful, informative communications about increasingly complex processes. From overcoming the relatively recent challenges of the digital revolution and increasing public scrutiny of science and journalism, JMC has remained aware, adaptable, and convergent.

As the Center for Science Communication, we are here to bring the sciences and humanities back together. For a number of years, we have become increasingly aware of other efforts—on campus, in state and federal agencies, politics, the business and nonprofit world, health care, the sciences, engineering, veterinary medicine, natural resources, agriculture, and others—on the part of a growing number of researchers and practitioners to engage with science communication. Our goal is identifying ongoing science communication efforts whatever and wherever they are and making sure that all the different players in this phenomenon are aware of the efforts of others.

Research Projects

Photo frame held up to the ocean

Encouraging respectful sea turtle viewing among tourists using the social marketing framework

How do we apply and advance behavior change and communication sciences to help protect wildlife? This series of projects developed and tested social marketing approaches to encourage behaviors among national park visitors and tourists that prevent wildlife harassment and harm.

Authors/Advisors: Katie Abrams, Amanda Martinek, Jordan Gorostiza, Meagan Black, Bonnie Palmatory, Kirsten Leong (NOAA)

Website part of the campaign

https://medium.com/@CSC_CSU/amazing-from-afar-q-a-with-dr-c7e474a47e5e

Photo frame held up to the ocean
Gina being interviewed on camera

Crop Diversity Video Series

Crop genetic diversity is essential to global food security in light of a changing climate and shrinking biodiversity. This 6-part web series explores the origins and uses of potato, tomato, sorghum, and cowpea. Conserving these crops and their wild relatives provides researchers and plant breeders with the tools they need to help feed the world.

Authors/Advisors: Eric Forbes, Matt Ross, Zach Bermejo, Rhea Maze, Meagan Black, Sam Martinez, Pat Bryne, Gina Cerimele, Kat Chen

Crop Diversity Series - YouTube

Awards/Honors:

-Best of Show, Faculty Film & Video Category, Broadcast Education Association (BEA) On-Location Creative Competition, 2022
-Awards of Excellence, Web Series and Educational/Instructional Films, IndieFEST Film Awards and the Accolade Global Film Competition, 2022
-Finalist, Science Shows, China Dragon Awards, China International Conference of Science and Education Producers, 2022
-Official screening, University Film & Video Association (UFVA) annual conference, 2022

Gina being interviewed on camera
Stop the spread infographic

Stop the Spread: Community-Engaged Education to Address Misinformation Around Pandemic Disease

Stop the Spread is an interdisciplinary group of researchers at Colorado State University developing partnerships with community leaders to identify, address, and prevent misinformation around the topic of pandemic disease.

Authors: Ashley Anderson, Marilee Long, Colleen Duncan, Nicole Kelp

https://vimeo.com/user178010269.

Project mentioned in this profile feature: https://cvmbs.source.colostate.edu/raise-your-voice-three-pioneers-in-science-communication-tackle-climate-change-misinformation-and-social-media/

Stop the spread infographic

American Bird Conservatory Conservation & Justice Fellowship Mentor

ABC, in partnership with the Indigenous Working Group of the Central Grassland Roadmap, created a graduate fellowship for the purpose of developing internal and external media materials based in community engagement with Indigenous conservation efforts across several disciplines and practices.

Author: Jamie Folsom

https://environmentaljustice.colostate.edu/noco-food-justice/

Encouraging respectful sea turtle viewing among tourists using the social marketing framework

How do we apply and advance behavior change and communication sciences to help protect wildlife? This series of projects developed and tested social marketing approaches to encourage behaviors among national park visitors and tourists that prevent wildlife harassment and harm.

Authors/Advisors: Katie Abrams, Amanda Martinek, Jordan Gorostiza, Meagan Black, Bonnie Palmatory, Kirsten Leong (NOAA)

Website part of the campaign

https://medium.com/@CSC_CSU/amazing-from-afar-q-a-with-dr-c7e474a47e5e

To Vaccinate or Not? The Role Played by Uncertainty Communication on Public Understanding and Behavior Regarding COVID-19

What role does scientific uncertainty play on public health behaviors?

Author: Nicole Kelp, Jessica Witt, Gayathri Sivakumar