Connecting Scientists and Engineers with Their Local Community

Many of the most important issues of our time—energy, infectious disease, climate change, and education, to name just a few—are steeped in science. Recent surveys indicate that Americans respect scientists but research also finds that too few Americans have the knowledge necessary to differentiate claims based on science from those that are not. Indeed, a 2006 study by the National Science Board found that “most Americans do not understand the scientific process and therefore may lack a valuable tool for assessing the validity of various claims they encounter in daily life.”

 

The Science & Engineering Ambassador Program, a new initiative from the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, was created to build on the respect people hold for scientists and engineers and to address the need for a greater popular understanding of scientific issues. The program will select, prepare, and support a team of science and engineering ambassadors—beginning with the topic of energy—to work in their local communities to improve the public understanding of and engagement with energy-related issues, while also providing opportunities for scientists and engineers to interact with members of their community.

 

The goal is for community members (specifically opinion leaders such as teachers, business leaders, and members of the local media) to find they are comfortable discussing energy topics, explaining energy information to others, and assessing the validity of others’ claims and conclusions. We expect the ambassadors will also gain valuable insights into the perceptions and concerns of members of their local communities. Eventually, the program will expand to include other complex topics in science, engineering, and medicine that affect us as individuals and as a nation.

 

Community Engagement

The program’s focus on the local community is a critical component of this effort. Developing activities based on the local population’s current understanding of the issues surrounding energy and the topics that are of greatest concern to them will ensure the information is relevant to their lives. Equally as important is the intent to involve local scientists and engineers. Supporting members of the scientific and engineering communities who are willing to listen to their fellow citizens and share with them what they know about energy issues will raise people’s awareness of valuable resources for reliable information within their community. Facilitating such positive interactions is paramount if science is to take a larger place in people's lives and be part of our culture rather than separate from it.

 

Also significant is the program’s focus on opinion leaders in the community. By reaching out specifically to those whose ideas and opinions influence others—teachers, business leaders, neighborhood leaders, and the media, for example—we hope to achieve a greater impact over a shorter period of time.

 

Pittsburgh as the Pilot City

After a rigorous planning phase supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation and guided by the program’s national advisory board (see list of members below), we have selected Pittsburgh as the pilot city for this program. Given the importance of pursuing ideas that are well-suited to the needs of the city, we are meeting with key stakeholders and potential partners in Pittsburgh (e.g., local museums and science centers, energy experts in universities and industry, members of local media, business leaders, and others) to learn which energy issues are of greatest concern to Pittsburgh, what programs are already in place to encourage interactions between local citizens and scientists and engineers, and where there are opportunities for our institution to develop or enhance programs that bring together the scientific community and local opinion leaders. We will launch the pilot program in early 2012.

 

In the long term, we hope to develop a replicable model that can be implemented in cities nationwide, building stronger relationships between scientists/engineers and their community while improving citizens’ engagement with current issues in science, technology, and medicine.

 

Why Pittsburgh?

The region is at the center of the energy conversation, with companies and activities in several relevant areas of the industry (e.g., coal, gas, nuclear, solar, wind). Pittsburgh is also home to an impressive number of eminent scientists and engineers in some of the nation’s top universities. The city has active business leaders who have a keen interest in community development as well as a strong network of museums and other cultural outlets. Importantly, Pittsburgh institutions have proven success at collaboration. As a region, the city is big enough to offer the key entities necessary for an effective program yet small enough to allow for dialogue, with an impressive participatory spirit among the population.

 

Communications Enhancement Training

A key component of the Ambassador Program will be to provide scientists and engineers with effective strategies for improving their communications with audiences of non-experts, whether they be members of the media, business leaders, teachers, neighborhood leaders or any other group of local opinion leaders. We are working with people locally and around the nation to develop a program that incorporates the best methods for enhancing communication skills.

 

Who Are the Ambassadors?

The scientists and engineers who serve as Ambassadors are established, well-respected experts in Pittsburgh who come from academia, industry, or government. Each has demonstrated respect for the value of interacting with members of their community and has shown a talent for effective communication to non-expert audiences.

 

We have begun to identify the first cohort of Ambassadors to serve in the pilot program. They include:

 

Michael Anness, Manager, Advanced Reactors, Research & Technology at Westinghouse Electric Company.

 

Robert Davis, John and Claire Bertucci Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Neil Donahue, Professor of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Director, Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Emily Fertig, Ph.D. Candidate in Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.  

 

Christina Gabriel, President of the University Energy Partnership, a nonprofit organization that facilitates collaborative research to address the nation's energy transition challenge. 

 

Brian Gleeson, Director of the Center for Energy and the Harry S. Tack Chair in Materials Science in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Pittsburgh.

 

George Guthrie, Focus-Area Leader for Geological and Environmental Sciences at DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

 

J. Alexandra Hakala, Geochemist at DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

 

Brent Henry, U.S. Engineering Manager, Power Systems Engineering at Eaton Corporation.

 

Kathryn Jackson, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Westinghouse Electric Company.

 

Sandy Jimenez, Engineering Manager, Technology Center at Eaton Corporation.

 

Steven Klara, Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Hari Mantripragada, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Bryan Morreale, Focus Area Leader (Acting), Materials Science & Engineering at DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

 

Joe Dallas Moore, M.S. Student in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Paul R. Ohodnicki, Jr., Materials Scientist, Chemistry & Surface Science Division at DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

 

Rita Patel, Ph.D. Candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

 

Lauren Jackson Powell, Ph.D. Candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Gregory Reed, Associate Director of the Center for Energy and Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

 

Ellis Robinson, Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Stephen Rose, Ph.D. candidate in Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Edward S. Rubin, The Alumni Professor of Environmental Engineering and Science at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Brian Strazisar, Chemist at DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

 

Emily Tavrides, Nuclear Engineer at Westinghouse Electric Company and Ph.D. Candidate in Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Emmanuel J. Taylor, Graduate Student Research Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate, Electric Power Initiative at the University of Pittsburgh.

 

Daniel Tkacik, Ph.D. Candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Jerry Whitaker, President (retired) of  Electrical Sector--Americas at Eaton Corporation.

 

Special Advisers

 

Catherine DeLoughry, Senior Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

 

Andi Fischhoff, Community Volunteer, formerly Development Director at Family Resources.

 

Bill Flanagan, Executive Vice President-Corporate Relations at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

 

Barbara Granito, Community Organizer and former journalist for the Wall Street Journal.

 

David Hassenzahl, Dean of the School of Sustainability and the Environment at Chatham University.

 

Marti Louw, Research Faculty for the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments (UPCLOSE).

 

John Radzilowicz, Director of Science and Education at the Carnegie Science Center.

 

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