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CCTA Portfolio

SciComm Identities Project #

Designing evidence-based workshops that help scientists communicate with authenticity, inclusion, and confidence. #

Services: Workshop Design • Facilitation • Curriculum Development • Evaluation • Science Communication • Arts-Based Learning

The challenge #

Many science communication trainings focus on what to say but overlook who is doing the communicating.

Scientists bring their identities, cultures, lived experiences, and values into their communication, yet traditional science communication often encourages communicators to appear "objective" by minimizing these parts of themselves. This can create barriers to belonging, authenticity, and effective public engagement—particularly for scientists from historically marginalized communities.

The SciComm Identities Project asked a different question:

How can we help scientists communicate in ways that honor both their identities and their expertise?

My role #

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, I helped investigate how identity shapes scientists' communication practices through mixed-methods research, workshop evaluation, and curriculum development.

Building on that research, I designed and facilitated interactive workshops that helped scientists reflect on identity, practice new communication approaches, and explore how creativity can foster more inclusive science communication.

Featured workshops #

How Communication Informs Identity #

Participants explored their identities using the Communication Theory of Identity through reflection, storytelling, and dialogue.

Rather than treating identity as an abstract concept, participants created visual "identity collages" that sparked conversations about how their lived experiences influence the way they communicate science.

The workshop helped scientists recognize identity as a resource rather than a barrier to effective communication.

Embodying Inclusion Through Theatre of the Oppressed #

I designed an interactive workshop using Theatre of the Oppressed to help participants explore challenges around inclusion, belonging, and identity in science communication.

Through image theatre, games, and embodied reflection, participants collectively examined the assumptions and power dynamics that shape science communication spaces—and imagined more inclusive possibilities together.

Rather than discussing inclusion intellectually, participants experienced it through creative practice.

Cops in the Head #

Using another Theatre of the Oppressed technique, participants explored the internalized messages that influence how they communicate as scientists.

Together we transformed personal stories into interactive theatre, allowing participants to experiment with new responses to self-doubt, professional expectations, and exclusion.

The workshop helped participants recognize that many communication barriers are not simply individual challenges—they are shaped by larger cultural systems.

SciComm Improv for Relational Engagement #

This workshop adapted improvisation techniques for science communication.

Participants practiced listening deeply, embracing uncertainty, building on others' ideas, and transforming facts into compelling stories.

By creating a playful learning environment, participants developed practical communication skills while strengthening collaboration and confidence.

Research-informed practice #

One of the unique aspects of this project was the close integration of research and facilitation.

Because our team studied how participants experienced identity and science communication, we could continuously refine our workshops based on participant feedback, qualitative research, and evaluation data.

This iterative approach allowed us to design learning experiences that were both theoretically grounded and responsive to participants' lived experiences.

What this project demonstrates #

This project showcases my ability to:

• Design evidence-based professional development
• Translate research into engaging learning experiences
• Facilitate conversations about identity and belonging
• Integrate arts-based methods with adult learning
• Evaluate workshop impact using qualitative and mixed-methods research
• Help scientists develop authentic, relational communication practices

Gallery #

(Photos of participants creating identity collages, engaging in Theatre of the Oppressed activities, improv exercises, small-group discussions, and workshop facilitation.)

https://knightcenter.jrn.msu.edu/2024/07/26/scip-workshop-empowers-minority-scientists-with-inclusive-science-communication-skills/

STEMprov: Improv for Science & Technology #

Using improvisation to help scientists become better collaborators, communicators, and leaders. #

Services: Workshop Design • Facilitation • Leadership Development • Science Communication • Team Building • Applied Improvisation

The challenge #

Scientists are trained to analyze evidence, solve complex problems, and communicate technical ideas—but many receive little support in developing the relational skills that make collaboration possible.

Listening deeply. Navigating uncertainty. Building on others' ideas. Telling compelling stories. Creating environments where everyone feels comfortable contributing.

These aren't just communication skills—they're collaboration skills.

My role #

I founded STEMprov to explore how improvisational theatre can strengthen collaboration, communication, and belonging within science and technology.

Since 2018, I've designed and facilitated workshops for universities, scientific societies, conferences, and community organizations, while also developing a six-week public course that allowed scientists to practice these skills over time through sustained community and reflection.

What participants experience #

Rather than learning improv for performance, participants use improvisation as a laboratory for practicing how they work with other people.

Through collaborative games, storytelling exercises, and structured reflection, participants develop skills they can immediately apply in research, teaching, leadership, and public engagement.

Participants practice:

• Deep listening
• Embracing uncertainty and failure
• Building on others' ideas through "Yes, And..."
• Collaborative problem solving
• Storytelling and public communication
• Psychological safety and trust
• Creative confidence

No theatre experience is required.

Featured workshops #

STEMprov: Improv for Science & Technology #

A hands-on introduction to applied improvisation that helps scientists strengthen collaboration, communication, and storytelling through imaginative play and reflective practice.

Designed for research groups, graduate students, faculty, and science professionals.

STEMprov: Improv for Inclusion & Belonging in STEM #

An arts-based workshop that explores how improvisation can help teams create more inclusive cultures.

Participants examine how norms around objectivity, expertise, and perfectionism shape STEM environments while practicing collaborative behaviors that foster belonging, curiosity, and psychological safety.

Rather than talking about inclusion, participants experience it through play.

Where I've facilitated STEMprov #

STEMprov workshops have been presented for organizations including:

• National Parks Service
• The University of Texas at Austin
• Texas A & M University
• Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST)
• Inclusive SciComm Symposium
• Reclaiming STEM Institute
• Transmitting Science

In addition to invited workshops, I developed and taught a six-week STEMprov course at Fallout Theater in Austin, Texas, where scientists, engineers, and science communicators met weekly to deepen their collaboration and communication skills through sustained practice.

Why improv? #

Improvisation isn't about being funny.

It's about learning to respond with curiosity instead of certainty, collaboration instead of competition, and creativity instead of fear.

For scientists, these same practices support stronger teamwork, more engaging communication, and healthier organizational cultures.

What this project demonstrates #

This project showcases my ability to:

• Design original arts-based learning experiences
• Translate theatre practices into professional development
• Facilitate experiential learning for adult audiences
• Build psychological safety through play
• Strengthen communication and collaboration skills
• Help organizations cultivate more creative and inclusive cultures

Gallery #

(Photos of workshops, participants engaged in improv exercises, conference sessions, and the Fallout Theater course.)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Member Learning Hub #

Transforming research into engaging learning experiences for scientists and engineers. #

Services: Learning Design • Curriculum Development • Literature Reviews • Adult Learning • Science Communication • Evaluation

The challenge #

Scientists are increasingly expected to build meaningful relationships with communities, lead inclusive teams, and evaluate the impact of their public engagement. Yet many professional development resources remain difficult to access, disconnected from practice, or overwhelming to busy professionals.

AAAS set out to create a new Member Learning Hub that would provide accessible, evidence-based professional development to help scientists strengthen these skills throughout their careers. As part of this initiative, AAAS sought subject matter experts to synthesize research, identify practical best practices, and design learner-centered courses in priority areas including evaluation, trust-building, and inclusive leadership.

My role #

As a Subject Matter Expert, I developed the research foundation and instructional design for three courses within the AAAS Member Learning Hub.

For each topic, I conducted comprehensive literature reviews, translated research into practical guidance, developed annotated bibliographies, recommended course structures, and created detailed course maps that informed the final learning experiences. My work emphasized both the evidence behind effective practice and concrete tools that scientists could apply in their own work.

Featured learning experiences #

Evaluating Public & Community Engagement #

Designed the research foundation for a course that helps scientists assess whether their public engagement efforts are meaningful, equitable, and effective.

This work synthesized scholarship on evaluation while translating it into practical frameworks that practitioners could immediately apply to improve future engagement activities.

Building Relationships of Trust with Community Members #

Developed evidence-based learning materials focused on how scientists can build authentic, reciprocal relationships with communities.

The course emphasized trust as something that is cultivated through relationships—not simply through sharing information—and explored practical strategies for engaging diverse audiences, including community organizations, policymakers, journalists, and faith communities.

Inclusive Leadership #

Created learning resources that help scientists lead with authenticity, empathy, and inclusion.

Drawing from research on organizational leadership and equity, the course translates complex scholarship into practical approaches that leaders can use to foster more inclusive research environments.

My approach #

For each course, I moved from research to practice through an iterative design process:

• Synthesized interdisciplinary scholarship into accessible literature reviews.
• Identified actionable, evidence-based practices.
• Organized content into learner-centered course pathways.
• Designed activities that connected research to participants' everyday work.
• Collaborated with AAAS staff to refine course maps and review final course materials before publication.

Why it mattered #

Good professional development doesn't simply present information—it helps people apply new ideas in their own contexts.

This project demonstrates my ability to bridge research and practice by translating complex evidence into engaging, accessible learning experiences that support scientists throughout their careers.

What this project demonstrates #

This project showcases my ability to:

• Design evidence-based professional learning
• Conduct literature reviews and synthesize interdisciplinary research
• Translate scholarship into accessible learning experiences
• Develop learner-centered curriculum and course maps
• Integrate evaluation and inclusive practices into learning design
• Collaborate with subject matter experts and organizational partners

Gallery #

(Screenshots of the AAAS Member Learning Hub, excerpts from course maps if you have permission, diagrams of your design process, or visuals illustrating the three course topics.)

AAAS Member Learning Hub Website

Designing Research-Informed Science Communication for the National Academy of Engineering #

Translating research into engaging media that inspires the next generation of engineers. #

Services: Learning Design • Science Communication • Audience Research • Evaluation • Strategic Communication

The challenge #

Engineering shapes nearly every aspect of modern life, yet public perceptions of the profession remain narrow and often inaccurate.

Many young people—especially students from historically excluded communities—do not see engineering as creative, collaborative, or a place where they belong. Improving recruitment requires more than simply providing information; it requires changing how people imagine engineering and who can become an engineer.

The National Academy of Engineering sought new approaches for communicating the societal impact of engineering while broadening participation in the field.

My role #

Working with the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, I helped design and evaluate science communication materials that translated research on engineering identity, public perception, and science communication into engaging educational media.

Rather than beginning with assumptions about what students wanted to hear, we grounded every stage of the project in communication research and audience testing.

Our approach #

The project combined research, communication design, and evaluation into an iterative development process.

We:

• Synthesized research on engineering identity and public perception.
• Guided undergraduate journalism students in evidence-based communication design.
• Developed multiple communication products highlighting engineering's societal impact.
• Tested materials with high school students.
• Used participant feedback to refine messaging and engagement strategies.

Why it mattered #

The project demonstrated how communication products can be designed as learning experiences rather than simply promotional materials.

By grounding creative work in audience research and iterative evaluation, we developed communication that was more engaging, more inclusive, and more likely to resonate with prospective engineering students.

The project was later featured through the National Academy of Engineering as an example of research-informed communication practice.

What this project demonstrates #

This project showcases my ability to:

• Translate research into communication strategy
• Design evidence-based educational media
• Integrate audience research into creative development
• Evaluate communication effectiveness
• Collaborate across researchers, educators, and creative professionals
• Bridge scholarship and practice

Gallery #

(Video clips, screenshots from the videos, photos of the student design process, storyboards, audience testing sessions, and presentation slides.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2yC10_Vyf4&ab_channel=NationalAcademyofEngineering

Bunny Shake Table: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1GZdQcvjZqDDdUQzYcaknVNsN1sZMef_c

Science in Solidarity #

Building leadership systems that transform concern into collective action. #

Services: Leadership Development • Strategic Planning • Team Facilitation • Organizational Development • Coalition Building • Community Organizing

The challenge #

Science is facing more than a funding crisis.

Many scientists are deeply concerned about attacks on science, higher education, and democratic institutions, but they have been trained to approach problems as individuals rather than as members of organized communities.

The culture of science often rewards independence, specialization, and political neutrality. While these norms support scientific discovery, they can leave scientists isolated and underprepared to respond collectively when the institutions they rely on come under threat.

The challenge wasn't simply to mobilize scientists around a single issue. It was to help people move from anxiety and isolation toward purpose, connection, and coordinated action.

My role #

As Founder and Lead Organizer, I designed Science in Solidarity as both a political home and a leadership development organization for scientists.

Rather than building another advocacy campaign, I focused on creating the infrastructure that helps people become long-term leaders: spaces for relationship-building, political education, strategic thinking, and shared action.

Every aspect of the organization—from Action Hours and onboarding conversations to team structures and campaign planning—was intentionally designed to help participants deepen their commitment, develop new skills, and gradually take on greater leadership.

What we built #

Science in Solidarity integrated leadership development directly into the organization's strategy.

Together, we built:

• Leadership pathways that supported members from first participation to facilitation and campaign leadership
• Action Hours that combined political education, relationship-building, and coordinated action
• Team structures that distributed leadership across volunteers rather than concentrating it in staff
• Strategic planning processes that aligned campaigns with long-term organizational goals
• Coalition relationships that connected scientists with broader movements working toward justice and democracy

Every initiative served two purposes: advancing the organization's mission and developing the people carrying it forward.

My approach #

Leadership doesn't emerge from a single workshop—it develops through repeated opportunities to practice, reflect, and take on increasing responsibility.

Rather than separating training from organizing, we embedded leadership development into the organization's everyday work.

For example, Action Hours weren't simply opportunities to complete advocacy actions. They were intentionally designed to help participants build relationships, strengthen strategic thinking, practice facilitation, and leave with a greater sense of purpose and agency.

Similarly, our onboarding process emphasized conversation over recruitment. Through one-on-one meetings, participants explored where their skills, interests, and motivations aligned with the organization's work, creating more meaningful and sustainable pathways into leadership.

The goal wasn't simply to recruit volunteers. It was to build an organization where leaders continually develop other leaders.

Why it mattered #

Organizations become more resilient when leadership is shared rather than concentrated.

By designing systems that integrated learning, relationship-building, and action, Science in Solidarity strengthened its capacity while helping participants move from concerned individuals to confident organizers, facilitators, and campaign leaders.

The result was an organization designed not only to respond to immediate challenges, but to cultivate the long-term leadership needed for sustained collective action.

What this project demonstrates #

This project showcases my ability to:

• Diagnose organizational challenges and develop strategic responses
• Design leadership development systems
• Build volunteer and leadership pipelines
• Facilitate strategic planning and organizational growth
• Create participatory team structures
• Build coalitions across organizations and sectors
• Align organizational culture with long-term strategy

Selected artifacts

• Science in Solidarity website
• Action Hour agenda
• 1:1 Training
• Strategic planning document
• Mutual aid campaign page

Reimagining Climate Futures Through Participatory Theatre #

Designing arts-based research experiences that help young people explore climate change, agency, and collective action. #

Services: Learning Design • Participatory Research • Youth Engagement • Facilitation • Applied Theatre • Climate Communication

The challenge #

Young people hear constant messages about climate change—but many of those messages emphasize individual responsibility, fear, or technological fixes while leaving little room to explore the emotional, social, and systemic dimensions of the crisis.

Traditional science communication often asks, "How do we convince people?"

This project asked a different question:

"What can we learn by creating space for young people to investigate their own experiences of climate change?"

My role #

I designed and facilitated two multi-week participatory theatre projects—Transmissions from 2050 and A Green Moment to Share—that brought together young people, scientists, artists, and community members to explore climate change through storytelling, improvisation, and Theatre of the Oppressed.

Rather than asking participants to communicate scientific facts, we invited them to investigate their own questions, emotions, and lived experiences, using theatre as both a research method and a learning process.

The projects culminated in interactive public performances that invited audiences to participate in the inquiry rather than simply observe it.

My approach #

These projects combined participatory action research with arts-based learning.

Across multiple weeks, participants:

• Built trust through ensemble-based theatre practices.
• Interviewed climate scientists and community members.
• Reflected on their own relationships with nature.
• Created original performances from their lived experiences.
• Facilitated dialogue with audiences during public performances.

Importantly, participants weren't simply performing—they were learning to facilitate, lead activities, and shape the research process themselves. Each workshop included opportunities for youth to practice leading exercises, receive feedback, and gradually take ownership of the creative process.

What we discovered #

Theatre became more than a communication tool—it became a research method.

Rather than producing predetermined messages, the process surfaced new questions and narratives about climate change that traditional interviews or surveys may never have revealed.

Three themes emerged across the work:

• Embracing entanglement — moving beyond simple stories of individual responsibility to recognize our interconnectedness.
• Bridging across difference — using theatre to navigate ideological, generational, and community divides.
• Accepting radical responsibility — recognizing that while we are shaped by larger systems, we still have agency to act within them.

Participants also reported feeling better equipped to communicate about climate change and more inspired to take meaningful action—not because they had found "the solution," but because they had developed new ways of understanding and relating to the crisis.

Why it mattered #

This project challenged a common assumption in science communication: that the goal is to deliver better messages.

Instead, it demonstrated how participatory arts can help people uncover new questions, examine dominant narratives, and collectively imagine different futures.

Rather than reducing uncertainty, the work embraced uncertainty as a space for creativity, reflection, and learning.

What this project demonstrates #

This project showcases my ability to:

• Design participatory research experiences
• Facilitate youth engagement around complex issues
• Integrate research, education, and artistic practice
• Design multi-week learning experiences
• Translate qualitative research into public engagement
• Use arts-based methods to investigate social and environmental challenges

Selected work #

• Transmissions from 2050 — A six-week participatory action research program where youth, scientists, and theatre artists collaboratively explored climate change through storytelling, inquiry, and performance. The curriculum intentionally combined community-building, scientific inquiry, reflective practice, and participant-led facilitation, with each week building toward an interactive public performance.
• A Green Moment to Share — A longer-form devising process using Theatre of the Oppressed to investigate environmental justice through participants' lived experiences. Rather than scripting a play in advance, the ensemble collectively generated characters, scenes, and audience interactions from the questions and tensions that emerged during the research process.

Helping healthcare professionals build the courage, empathy, and facilitation skills to lead through complexity. #

Services: Leadership Development • Health Equity • Professional Learning • Facilitation • Applied Theatre • Difficult Dialogue

The challenge #

Healthcare professionals regularly navigate conversations shaped by power, identity, trauma, and inequity. While medical education excels at teaching clinical expertise, it often offers fewer opportunities to practice the relational leadership skills needed to build trust across difference.

Whether caring for transgender patients, responding to trauma, or addressing health inequities, professionals need more than information—they need opportunities to reflect, experiment, and practice new ways of showing up with others.

My role #

I designed and facilitated Theatre of the Oppressed workshops for medical students, nursing students, residents, and healthcare educators, using embodied learning to help participants investigate challenging clinical interactions and the systems that shape them.

Rather than teaching communication as a checklist, these workshops invited participants to explore how power, identity, assumptions, and institutional structures influence relationships with patients and colleagues.

What we built #

Across workshops focused on trauma-informed care and gender-affirming care, participants worked together to:

• Explore patient experiences through embodied scenarios.
• Examine how systems and power shape clinical interactions.
• Practice responding to difficult conversations in real time.
• Reflect on their own assumptions and professional identities.
• Learn collaboratively from one another rather than relying solely on expert instruction.

By slowing down complex moments and investigating them together, participants developed greater confidence navigating situations with no single "right" answer.

My approach #

I use Theatre of the Oppressed because leadership develops through practice.

Rather than presenting ideal responses, participants collectively investigate real situations, rehearse different possibilities, and reflect on what helps people feel respected, heard, and empowered.

This approach treats participants not as passive recipients of knowledge, but as co-investigators who learn by experimenting together. The goal isn't to eliminate uncertainty—it's to build leaders who can respond thoughtfully within it.

Why it mattered #

Technical expertise alone does not create equitable care.

By combining embodied learning, reflection, and dialogue, these workshops helped future healthcare professionals strengthen the relational skills needed to build trust, navigate difference, and lead with empathy in complex environments.

The same facilitation approach has since been adapted across science communication, higher education, and community organizing, demonstrating its flexibility for developing leaders across sectors.

What this project demonstrates #

This project showcases my ability to:

• Design leadership development experiences for healthcare professionals.
• Facilitate conversations about health equity, identity, and power.
• Create psychologically safe environments for practicing difficult conversations.
• Integrate embodied learning into professional education.
• Develop reflective leaders who can navigate uncertainty and complexity.
• Adapt leadership development methods across healthcare, higher education, and community organizations.

Gallery #

(Photos of workshops, image theatre exercises, participants sculpting images, group discussions, and performances.)
Theatre of the Oppressed for Health Equity, Dell Medical School Photos