JCOM Masterclasses Final report 2014 and programme 2015-2016 The project JCOM Masterclasses are intensive, short training courses to empower scientists, senior- middle managers of cultural institutions, public administration officers, NGO and company employees, and other professionals; to communicate science, socio- economical sciences, humanities and the natural and historical heritage to different audiences; through events, media, science exhibitions, museums and visitor centres. Each course lasts 5 days and includes theoretical presentations, practical workshops and the presentation of international best practices. Keynote speakers are leading professionals in the industries, academics and other experts at an international level. The courses are organized within the activities of JCOM, SISSA Journal of Science Communication, an open access, peer reviewed journal dedicated to science communication (jcom.sissa.it). The courses are organized in Trieste (Italy) by SISSA Medialab in partnership with SISSA the International School for Advanced Studies, ICTP the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, ICGEB the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, and in collaboration with the Architect Association of the Friuli Venezia- Giulia region. Venue of all courses is the Adriatico Guesthouse of the ICTP, Trieste, Italy. SISSA Medialab is a wholly owned subsidiary of SISSA University (International School for Advanced Studies). SISSA Medialab was set up in 2005 but its roots are grounded in the work of a group of scientists and communication experts who worked in the early 1990s at SISSA, to develop highly innovative projects and technologies for the communication of science inside and outside the scientific community. SISSA Medialab also provides consultancy, management, media, evaluation and staff training for the development of new museums and science centres. It is involved in several action/research European funded projects aiming at the development of new methodologies, the related staff training, and the methodological quality assessment. In the last 10 years SISSA Medialab has trained approximately 3000 among scientists, museums staff and other professionals. Speakers and tutors are leading professionals, researchers in science communication and experts at an international level. Among others Sharon Ament, Director of the Museum of London; Gordon Rankmore, former Head of exhibitions of the Natural History Museum of London; Lynn Scarff, Director of the Science Gallery of the Trinity College, Dublin; and Barbara Streicher, Director of the ScienceNezwerk, the Austrian network of Science centres (see full list of teachers and their profiles at the end of the document).
2014 Programme In 2014 four courses were delivered: Facilitating the debate on the scientific and technological progress Trieste, 1-5 September 2014 Developing successful exhibitions Trieste, 15-19 September 2014 Developing successful museums and science centres Trieste, 27-31 October 2014 Communicating current research to different audiences Trieste 10-14 November 2014 Main contents and objectives of the four courses were as follows: Facilitating the debate on the scientific and technological progress 1-5 September 2014 The course aims at empowering participants to tackle with controversial issues regarding scientific applications and sustainable development in fields such as personalized medicine, synthetic biology, climate change, energy transition, nanotechnology, neurosciences, etc. Learning outcomes are defined as follows: How to identify potentially controversial issues; How to collect information on the public perception of science; Which formats exist to promote the debate on scientific governance and sustainable development; How to organize and facilitate science cafés, discussion games, scenario workshops and other participatory procedures; How to evaluate the effectiveness of their activities. The course has been designed so to give participants the opportunity to discuss their own project with speakers and tutors. Developing successful exhibitions 15-19 September 2014 The course presents best practices to develop interactive exhibitions with hands- on exhibits, multimedia, video installations and other new technologies and approaches. Learning outcomes are defined as follows: How to develop the scientific contents of the exhibition; How to include visitors needs into the design; How to develop a narrative through exhibits and objects; How to choose media and technologies; How to develop a content and design brief for architects and designers; How to plan the work and organize the team. The course has been designed so to give participants the opportunity to discuss their own project with speakers and tutors.
Developing successful museums and science centres 27-31 October 2014 The course presented the best practices to develop and operate educational programmes, science centres and museums relating to our natural and cultural heritage. The course helps participants who are already, or plan to be, involved in such projects to set their goals, to choose among current opportunities, to build up teams, to develop a master- plan, to choose a marketing and branding strategy, etc. Learning outcomes are defined as follows: How to define mission and objectives; The significance of the brand in the proposed development, communication and marketing strategies; How to identify potential audiences and the importance of stake- holders involvement; How to identify and plan appropriate spaces and facilities to meet the needs of the organisation and the visitors; How to plan and integrate programmes and associated facilities into the development; How to plan the work and organize the teams with a Project Execution Plan. The course as been designed so to give participants the opportunity to discuss their own project with speakers and tutors. Communicating current research to different audiences 10-14 November 2014 The training course aimed at improving scientists personal skills to communicate the value and the results of current research. Learning outcomes are defined as follows: How to know the needs of the different audiences; How to find information on the public perception of science and technology; How to present their research to different audiences in public conferences and science cafés; How to write news and essays for magazines and newspapers for the lay public; How to communicate with policy makers; How to tackle difficult challenges such as risk communication and controversial issues; How to evaluate the effectiveness of their activities. The course has been designed so to give participants the opportunity to discuss their own project with speakers and tutors.
Communication, audience interest and registrations The courses were advertised the first 6 months of 2014 through: a dedicated website; partner institutions websites; dedicated newsletters; distribution of materials on several international conferences. Moreover letters were sent to: the mailing lists of Trieste international scientific institutions; the mailing list of former participants to science communication courses organized by SISSA; Medialab and partners; the mailing list of Ecsite and Red Pop; the mailing list of the Architect regional Association of Friuli- Venezia Giulia Region. Grants to support the participation were offered thanks to SISSA and SISSA Medialab (grants reserved to SISSA Phd students already involved in outreach activities), ICGEB (grants for ICGEB staff working in the Trieste branch) and ICTP (20 grants for candidates working in developing countries). A fee reduction has been offered to participants whose organizations belong to Ecsite (the European network of science museums and science centres) and RedPop (the Latin- American network of science museums and science centres). JCOM Materclasses received an enthusiast answer from the targeted audiences: for a maximum of 100 places 276 applications were received, from 54 different countries. However, many of applicants, although being in possession of appropriate titles and motivations, were not able to participate because lacking of funds to cover the costs of participation. This is especially the case of scientists working in developing countries who did not receive a grant; nevertheless some participant from low- income country individually (or throughout their institutions) supported the participation costs. Besides the 276 received applications, many more expressed their interest but did not actually register because aware that they will be excluded from the grant scheme, in particular interested candidates from East European countries. The majority of applying scientists showed a sincere interest in the field, motivating their applications with their engagement in current outreach projects or arguing the importance of science communication with lay public in their specific fields of research, as in the case of the many applicants working in forestry, agriculture, health, nuclear energy. But also scientists working in fields more aloof from the general knowledge and direct applications (like astrophysics and cosmology) applied in large number and appear to be involved in important projects for the public engagement in science and technology such as visitors centres of research institutes and universities to be opened in the next years. Consistent was also the interest for the courses by the community of professionals working in science communication, and many important museums and science centres sent representatives of their institution. Thanks to the partnership with the Architect Association of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region two Masterclasses were recognized with credits for the in- service compulsory training of Italian architects. 6 Italian professionals participated to the courses. However, the advertising targeting especially Italian architects and other exhibition developers was organised late in the spring, and it can be expected that the 2015 edition of the courses will receive a bigger number of applications from this particular community.
In the following TABLE 1 how final participants got the information of the Masterclasses (from an online front- end survey, see in the following paragraph). TABLE 1 Through SISSA 24 Through a person I know 21 Through ICTP 8 Through JCOM Masterclasses newsletter 8 Other* 8 Through ICGEB 7 Through Ecsite network 5 I have found JCOM Masterclasses leaflets 2 Through newspapers 2 Through RedPop network 1 * Other: PCST network; Architect Association (2); Advisor; personal contacts; EfD; CNR; Associació Catalana de Comunicació Científica (ACCC); browsing internet. Participants analysis As in TABLE 2, 81 participants attended the four courses: 17 attended the course Facilitating the debate on the scientific and technological progress, 20 the course Developing successful exhibitions, 21 the course Developing successful museums and science centres and 23 Communicating current research to different audiences. TABLE 2 Participants Masterclass 1 Masterclass 2 Masterclass 3 Masterclass 4 TOTAL Total number 17 20 21 23 81 Paying participants 8 15 12 11 46 Supported by grants 9 5 9 12 35 Italian 8 13 12 12 45 European 3 5 3 3 14 Non European 6 2 6 8 22 University or research institute 10 5 11 23 49 Museum 3 3 6 12 NGO and company 3 5 1 9 Architect 5 2 7 Other 1 2 1 4 In TABLE 3 the working countries of the participants.
TABLE 3 Country Participants Italy 46 Portugal 5 Brazil 4 Ethiopia 2 India 2 Mexico 2 Nigeria 2 Pakistan 2 Romania 2 Argentina 1 Belgium 1 China 1 Costa Rica 1 Cote D'Ivoire 1 Cuba 1 Ecuador 1 Germany 1 Ghana 1 Poland 1 Spain 1 Sweden 1 Switzerland 1 The Netherlands 1 Participants represented very various and also relevant institutions; here below some examples: Ciência Viva Portuguese Network of Science Centres and Museums, Lisbon, Portugal ESO (European Southern Observatory), HQ Munich, Germany National School of Development, University of Beijing, China INAF Astronomical Observatory, Brera, Italy Institute of Biometrology, CNR, Italy National Academy of Young Scientists, Lahore, Pakistan PRO- Test Italian Scientific Committee, Milan, Italy ALBA synchrotron, Barcelona, Spain Kopernicus Science Centre, Warsaw, Poland Technorama Science Centre, Winterthur, Switzerland Rikutställningar Swedish Exhibition Agency, Sweden National Museum of Natural History, la Habana, Cuba INFN National Laboratories of Frascati, Italy Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Abeba University, Ethiopia Centro Atomico Bariloche- Instituto Balseiro, Bariloche, Argentina ITER- India, Institute of Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, India.
All participants were invited to fill an online survey before coming to Trieste, in which they were asked to describe: their current profession and institutions (or company or associations), their involvement in projects similar to the ones tackled by the course, their motivations to participate and expectation, etc. These data were available to speakers to better tailor their presentations and workshops. Evaluation of the 2014 courses All courses were carefully evaluated during and after the courses. The data of the formative evaluation were collected through: Session by session evaluation forms, which asked participants to give a mark (from 1, the minimum, to 4, the maximum) for 4 criteria (interest, relevance to my work, applicability of the content, quality of materials) and included a space for free comments for each session. The forms were distributed just after the end of every session; no form was distributed for workshops in which participants worked on their own project; A final questionnaire, which included an evaluation form similar to the session by session form but aiming at evaluating the course as a whole, plus open questions to explore expectations, best and worst of the course, gained competences, suggestions for a future new edition of the course, etc. The results have been overall extremely positive for the four courses. The course experience has been highly appreciated. Participants reported to have gained theoretical knowledge, practical guidelines, new ideas and inspiration. Each course, when evaluated as a whole, received on average a very high score (3.7 out of 4 for the first course, 3,8 for the second, 3.7 for the third and 3,6 for the last one) and participants expressed their appreciation with personal comments. The results of the evaluation of the course as a whole for the four courses are shown in Chart 1, 2, 3 and 4. Chart&1:&Final&evalua0on&form& Facilita0ng&the&debate&on&the&scien0fic&and&technological&progress& Chart&2:&Final&evalua0on&form& Developing&successful&exhibi0ons& 4$ 3,5$ 3$ 2,5$ 2$ 1,5$ 1$ 0,5$ 0$ 3,9$ Interest$ 3,6$ 3,6$ 3,7$ Relevance$to$my$ work$ Applicability$of$ the$content$ Quality$of$ materials$ 4$ 3,5$ 3$ 2,5$ 2$ 1,5$ 1$ 0,5$ 0$ 3,9$ 3,8$ 3,7$ 3,7$ Interest$ Relevance$to$my$ work$ Applicability$of$ the$content$ Quality$of$ materials$ CHART&3&(&Final&evalua1on&form& Developing&successful&museums&and&science¢res& Chart&4&(&Final&evalua0on&form& Communica0ng¤t&research&with&various&audiences&& 4$ 3,5$ 3$ 2,5$ 2$ 1,5$ 1$ 0,5$ 0$ 3,8$ Interest$ 3,6$ 3,6$ Relevance$to$my$ Applicability$of$ work$ the$content$ 3,8$ Quality$of$ materials$ 4$ 3,5$ 3$ 2,5$ 2$ 1,5$ 1$ 0,5$ 0$ 3,8$ Interest$ 3,5$ 3,5$ Relevance$to$my$ work$ Applicability$of$ the$content$ 3,7$ Quality$of$ materials$
17 participants attended the course Facilitating the debate on the scientific and technological progress: 8 from Italy, 2 from Mexico, 2 from Brazil, 1 from Switzerland, 1 from Poland, 1 from Portugal, 1 from India and 1 from Pakistan. Examples of free comments for the course: I feel more like questioning myself about my attitude towards the audience, looking for the aspects that create a distance and trying to erase them, as communication can never be a monologue but needs to be an exchange between peers. A deeper scientific knowledge empowers non- experts to analyze critically their experiences, but this can happen only when none of the parts is feeling judged or patronized. This becomes especially relevant when considering controversial issues, in which often the public might feel disrespected or ignored for having an opinion non conformal to what an educator might be expecting. A more respectful attitude is required to encourage discussion and critical thinking. More structured tools in order to plan my future activities. Overall idea of complexities involved, possible scenarios. Sharing opportunities well balanced with theory. Resuming previous competences while integrating/expanding with added tools, ideas to think about. The best thing was to feel uncomfortable with the talks and discussions, because I grow somehow. No worst things. Another good thing was the diversity of the group.
20 participants attended the course Developing successful exhibitions: 13 from Italy, 2 from Portugal, 1 from Ethiopia, 1 from Sweden, 1 from Germany, 1 from The Netherlands and 1 from Brazil. Examples of free comments for the course: Lots of experience I can apply in my work. Not only in the area of exhibition, but also in other areas. I have gained valuable detailed information that I will use for sure in my projects. Especially regarding project management, key phases, the relation between client, designer, producer. Contacts, knowledge about how exhibition projects work in different countries, exhibition design do/don t, project management, evaluation tips. I ve seen a lot of great examples of exhibition design. Great to hear from experts who have really working in the field. Great you were so open to share your expertise and knowledge. Thank for all the tips & tricks. I find a lot of the things I have learned here will be useful for my work- project management, key phases, creative processes, understanding visitors... A lot of other aspects are more a validation of what I am doing so far. But overall there was nothing that was not useful for me. I have learned a lot, so, thank you!
21 participants attended the course Developing successful museums and science centres: 12 from Italy, 2 from Portugal, 1 from Brazil, 1 from Romania, 1 from Argentina, 1 from Ecuador, 1 from Pakistan, 1 from Cuba and 1 from India. Examples of free comments for the course: Congratulations!! I have had an excellent experience with you J Thank you very much! My science museum will be a better place after this course. Excellent organization, personal commitment from SISSA people. Professors were professionals and very familiar at the same time. Always consider how any piece of information can be presented focusing on applicability. But the masterclass is already excellent! Congratulations for the work!!! 23 participants attended the course Communicating current research with various audiences: 13 from Italy, 2 from Nigeria, 1 from Cote d Ivoire, 1 from Belgium, 1 from Romania, 1 from Costa Rica, 1 from China, 1 fron Spain, 1 from Ethiopia and 1 from Ghana. Examples of free comments for the course: Thank your JCOM Masterclasses for opening our eyes to see the importance of science communication and showing us how best do it. Despite few remarks, my overall opinion is that this JCOM is EXTREMELY USEFUL and also well done, well organized. Congratulations! Good diversity of topics touched during the sessions and excellent choice of workshop activities which were well organized.
2015-2016 Preliminary programme Considered the success of the courses first edition, courses will be repeated in 2015 with an extension in 2016 (i.e. covering the whole academic year). The course Communicating current research to different audiences will therefore been repeated in first months of 2016, and a new course/seminar on new trends in science museums development will be organized for a selected audience as a conclusion of the programme, in March 2016. The latter special seminar will gather main JCOM Masterclasses speakers and a selection of invited Directors from main European museums and science centres. Results of the seminar will be then published in JCOM, SISSA Journal of Science Communication. Preliminary 2015-2016 programme as follows: Developing successful exhibitions Trieste, 5-9 October 2015 Communicating current research to different audiences Trieste 9-13 November 2014 Developing successful museums and science centres Trieste, 7-11 December 2015 Facilitating the debate on the scientific and technological progress Trieste, January 2016 Communicating current research to different audiences Trieste, February 2016 Challenges and trends of the communication of science in museums and science centres Trieste, March 2016
External speakers profiles Sharon Ament, Museum of London Director since September 2012, recently launched the Museum s 5- Year Strategic Plan (2013/14-2017/18). Sharon is part of the London Cultural Strategy Group; is a Noyce Leadership Fellow and on the Noyce Alumni Steering Group. Sharon was formerly Director of Public Engagement at the Natural History Museum, during which time she was Chair of the Exhibition Road Cultural Group, which represents 17 major cultural institutions; and Vice- President of Ecsite. She was a trustee of the Wildscreen Trust and International Wildlife Film Festival; and a founder of the conservation charity 21st Century Tiger. Sharon is committed to the concept of engaged cultural citizenship, culture comprising all facets of human endeavour including artistic, political, scientific and social. She has worked to ensure the sustainability of complex organisations and has lead on major projects and initiatives such as new galleries, exhibitions, income generation, fundraising and communications campaigns. Andrea Bandelli is a scholar in science communication and an advisor for science education projects and institutions. After pioneering the use of internet in schools and museums in the early 1990 s, Bandelli worked at the development of the science center NEMO in Amsterdam, the Miami Museum of Science and became a partner of NISE, the Nanoscale Informal Science Education network. In 2004 he launched PlayDecide, a project which continues to engage several thousands people in debates and discussions on contemporary science. Andrea was the coordinator of the academic program for the first African Science Communication conference in 2006 and has developed, managed, evaluated and directed several international projects on science, art, democracy and public participation in collaboration with Ecsite, the European network of science centers and museums. He has published several articles on public engagement with science and he is currently conducting doctoral research at the VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on scientific citizenship and the role of the public in the governance of science centers. Peter Higgins is Creative Director at the Land Design Studio in London. He trained at the Architectural Association and has worked as a designer for the BBC and in London s West End Theatre. In 1992 he formed Land Design Studio who have built a reputation in integrating architecture, narrative design and communication media for museums, science centres, visitor attractions and commercial environments. For many years Peter s interest in the crossover of design disciplines has encouraged Land s collaboration with many leading architects and media practitioners such as Ars Electronica. Peter is committed to design education and is visiting professor of interpretation at Central St Martins London. In 2009 he was awarded an RDI (Royal Designer for Industry). Land s holistic approach to place making and experiential design is reflected in the range of clients that include; Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Anschutz Entertainment Group, Miraikan Tokyo, National Parks Singapore, V&A, Natural History Museum and The British Museum, where in 2013 they designed Pompeii & Herculaneum. Luisa Massarani is a Brazilian science journalist, PhD. She has been working in science communication since 1987, carrying out both practical and research activities. She works at Museum of Life, a hands on science museum in Rio de Janeiro, in which she was the director during the period 2009-2013 and now she integrates the research group of the Science Communication Studies Section. She is also the Latin American and the Caribbean Coordinator of SciDev.net, a website on science and development in the developing world, based in London. Furthermore, she is the director of Red Pop, the Science Popularisation Network for Latin America and the Caribbean, created in 1990 in the context of the Science, Technology and Society Programme of Unesco. Laura Miotto b arch. Hons, is Design Director at the Gsmprjct Singapore. With 15 years of experience in the field of design both as a creative director and an architectural designer, Laura has worked on the creation of a multitude of permanent and temporary exhibitions. Graduated from the Milan School of Architecture, she was involved on various commercial and cultural projects in Italy prior to moving to Singapore. She has been living and working in Singapore since 2000, where she has designed over 40 exhibitions. Her focus has mainly been on heritage interpretation and design strategies that involve the sensorial experience in the context of museums, thematic galleries and public spaces. Inspired by local cultures and multidisciplinary collaborations she created innovative concepts and designed spaces that engage with visitors. Among her projects, the Living Galleries at the National Museum of Singapore were awarded the Design Exchange Award in Canada in 2007 and Quest for Immortality: The World of Ancient Egypt was awarded Design of the Year 2010 in Singapore (President Design Award). Laura is currently the Design Director of Gsmprjct in Singapore, an international firm specialized in experience and exhibition design originated in Montréal, Canada. Matteo Merzagora, phycisist, worked as a journalist in radio (Radio 24, Radio 3, Radio Popolare) and newspaper (Il Sole 24 Ore, Science et vie, Repubblica, Tempo Medico, Scienza esperienza, etc.). He collaborated to the development of science exhibitions at first in Italy, and then in France, at the Cité des Sicences and de l Industrie of Paris, where is now based. In France he has funded a think thank on science communication, the association TRACES. He is now the Director of the Espaces des Sciences Pierre- Gilles de Gennes (ESPGG): created in 1994, this small museum is the public venue of the prestigious Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, where cutting- edge events have been run. He is author of many books for the popularization of science, such as Scienza da vedere (Sironi, 2006); with Marzia Mazzonetto ed Elisabetta Tola, Science in radio broadcasting (Polimetrica, 2005); with Sylvie Coyaud Guida ai musei della scienza in Europa (UTET, 1999); with Paola Rodari La scienza in mostra. Musei, science centre, comunicazione, PBM, 2007. Gordon Rankmore has more than 35 years of experience in interpretation, design and project management in heritage, museum and tourism environments. He has led interpretation, design and project management teams and developed feasibility studies and interpretative, management and business plans across these sectors, nationally and internationally. He is also a lecturer and trainer in interpretation, exhibition design and interpretative writing. He worked for nearly 20 years at the Natural History Museum of London. He was Head of Interpretation and Design, being responsible for the policy and implementation of interpretative exhibitions. He directed the Museum s public offer programmes, including Darwin Centre Phase 2 (opened 2009), the annual special touring exhibitions programme, the redevelopment of permanent exhibition galleries, brand development and corporate
design. During this time, he established the Museum s professional consultancy team, acting as its Creative Director for projects in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Dubai, Japan, Kenya, Qatar and others. Barbara Streicher is a molecular biologist with long- term experience in science communication. Following her PhD at the University of Vienna, Austria, she built up the organisation dialogue<>gene technology, focusing on communication of bioscience issues to a broad public. Since 2005, she is co- founder and Executive Manager of the association ScienceCenter- Netzwerk. She is active in coordinating the network, providing support, training and impulses into the Austrian community of already more than 130 science center actors. Together with her team, she initiates events and projects like travelling exhibitions, school projects, discussion games and other interactive offers for diverse target groups, as well as research projects to determine the effects of these activities and the network. She is engaged in European projects and networks like the Thematic Human Interface and Explainers group of Ecsite, serves as a lecturer at the University of Vienna and teacher training institutions and is a current Noyce leadership fellow. Brian Trench is a researcher, evaluator and trainer living in Dublin, who has been centrally involved in developing science communication and science- in- society studies in Ireland. He was a senior lecturer, co- ordinator of the Masters in Science Communication, and Head of School in the School of Communications of Dublin City University (DCU). He was a full- time journalist for 20 years before joining DCU. He has participated in many EU- funded and nationally funded research projects. Brian was a member of the government advisory body, Irish Council for Science Technology and Innovation, 1997-2003, and of the advisory committee of Dublin City of Science 2012. He has given talks and courses on science communication in 20 countries. He has written many papers and chapters on science communication, and is co- editor with M. Bucchi of Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology (Routledge, 2008 and 2014). Phillip Tefft has planned, designed and developed museums, exhibitions, and cultural attractions with RAA for over twenty years. After developing projects in New York during the 1990s, he established RAA s London studio in 1998, today comprising a multi- disciplinary staff of 35 designers, architects, artists, writers, researchers, and administrators. As Director of RAA London, he has led the development of the award winning London Transport Museum; The Braid, the largest cultural project in Northern Ireland; the media- led UAE Expo in Shanghai with Foster s and Partners Architects; the Culloden Battlefield Memorial Project in Inverness; and the renovation of 16 permanent galleries at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, named the most visited UK museum outside London and winner of the Museums and Heritage Award for Best Permanent Exhibition 2012. Under his direction, the studio completed renovations to The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, winner of the prestigious Arts Fund Prize 2012. He holds a Master s Degree from the Columbia University School of Architecture where he was awarded the Kenne Fellowship and the Tadao Ando Fellowship to Japan. He is a registered architect in New York, a member of the Architectural Association in London, and the International Council of Museums. He has lectured at the AA, Central St Martins College of Art and is an External Examiner at University of Lincoln s School of Art and Architecture. Emma Weitkamp is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at UWE, teaching predominantly on postgraduate science communication courses, and undertakes research and practice in science journalism, public relations and Sci- Art. Emma developed the MSc in Science Communication together with Professor Emeritus Frank Burnet. She currently leads the 'Writing Science and New Opportunities in Science Communication' modules that form part of this MSc and the PgCert in Practical Science Communication. Emma teaches on a level 3 Science Communication module and contributes to teaching on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes offered by the Faculty. Emma has supervised over 25 MSc projects to completion and also supervises undergraduate project students. She was a finalist in the Curriculum Innovation Contest held by the University in 2010. Emma has published in journals such as Public Understanding of Science, New Media and Society, Research in Drama Education and Local Environment. In 2010 she co- edited Introducing Science Communication with Mark Brake, and she is currently the Editor in Chief of JCOM, the Journal of the Communication of Science.