Research Ambassador Fellows receive training in non-traditional public outreach. The Program provides funds for a visit to the Research Ambassador headquarters in Olympia, Washington. During this time, staff offers communications training, mentoring, and multiple outreach opportunities, including speaking engagements (depending on individual preferences) in state prisons, places of worship, and elderly care homes. This allows the scientist to create or fulfill Broader Impacts Requirements of NSF grants, taking advantage of our local existing networks of partners and contacts.
This 3-4 day RA Fellowship includes:
- Airfare to/from Seattle and three days of hotel accommodations in Olympia, Washington;
- Mentoring in outreach strategies with particular audiences;
- 2-4 speaking engagements at local organizations, customized for individual interests and expertise;
- Participation in a weekly staff meeting for our outreach projects, to communicate “behind the scenes” of coordinating outreach efforts;
- Feedback and evaluation, both based on our observations and surveys of audiences.
We also provide:
- Further personalized advice and mentoring for continuing outreach work after the visit;
- A letter commending your work to your department chair, professional association or funding institution;
- Acknowledgment in evaluative and scientific reports;
- Press coverage, via websites and media relations
Participants in the Fellowship program in 2011 include:
Dr. Denise Bruesewitz
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Texas at Austin
Research includes: freshwater ecology, biogeochemistry
Dr. Ankur Desai
Assistant Professor
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research includes: biogeochemistry, meteorology
Dr. Matthew Hurteau
Assistant Research Professor
Northern Arizona University
Research includes: climate change mitigation
Dr. Doug Levey
Professor
University of Florida
Research includes: landscape ecology and conservation biology
Ms. Aurora MacRae-Crerar
Doctoral Student
University of Pennsylvania
Research includes: soil microbial communities, biogeochemistry
Ms. Molly Mehling
Doctoral Candidate
Miami University
Research includes: community ecology, ecotoxicology
Ms. Katie Renwick
Doctoral Student
Colorado State University
Research includes: temperate forests, disturbance ecology
Dr. Rebecca Trueman
Assistant Professor
Concordia University Chicago
Research includes: biogeochemistry, wetland ecology
Dr. Divya Uma
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Maryland
Research includes: behavioral and sensory ecology
Dr. Alan Wilson
Assistant Professor
Auburn University
Research includes: community ecology and genetics, limnology