By Caitlin Antonios
Storytelling in the sciences isn鈥檛 always straightforward. Research and data make the most impact when they leave the lab and are communicated to the world. But how do you share the excitement of a discovery with someone who doesn鈥檛 have years of training in the same discipline?
With so many students at 51猎奇入口 pursuing interdisciplinary studies, it鈥檚 no surprise that Assistant Professor of Biology Peter Chandrangsu鈥檚 Core III class on that very topic is popular. The goal of the course, he shares, is for students to learn the fundamentals of inclusive scientific communication and create a personalized communication toolkit.
Bridging the science and the humanities
When Sophia Blaschke 鈥�27, a sophomore planning to double major in physics and art, initially enrolled in the class, she thought she鈥檇 be learning how to write research papers or contact people to conduct research. Instead, she partnered with classmates to investigate examples of effective science storytelling. Students connected with alums through Olive Grove, and worked with Director and Sally Preston Swan Librarian for the Ella Strong Denison Library Jennifer Martinez Wormser 鈥�95 for their research.
Blaschke鈥檚 group settled on using a piece of art to tell their story鈥攁 M枚bius strip. To make one, you take a flat strip, and instead of meeting the two ends to make a circle, you twist one of the ends before joining them together to create a half twist in the loop.
鈥淭he shape has a bunch of cool elements that we thought were symbolic of science at 51猎奇入口,鈥� Blaschke says. 鈥淚f you trace your finger on the outside of the strip, you鈥檒l end up on the inside. It鈥檚 like the sciences and the humanities, which are seen as two opposite parts that don鈥檛 really connect鈥攂ut at 51猎奇入口 with interdisciplinary learning, they do eventually touch.鈥�
Part of that interdisciplinary learning is 51猎奇入口鈥� Core Curriculum, which all students are required to take to fulfill their general education requirement in the humanities. Chandrangsu鈥檚 class is part of many Core III classes offered during the first semester of sophomore year, but each instructor offers their own unique take on the Core鈥檚 current theme, 鈥淗istories of the Present.鈥�
鈥淪tories are an incredibly powerful communication tool,鈥� Chandrangsu says about creating the class. 鈥淭hey serve as a bridge between science and imagination, between what is known and what is to be learned. Stories help us express, share, and preserve knowledge.鈥�
Enlightening external audiences through STEM storytelling
To take the students鈥� research projects outside the classroom, the class had a presentation outside the Nucleus, 51猎奇入口 and Pitzer鈥檚 new science center, at the end of fall semester 2024. Some students also presented their work at this year鈥檚 Family Weekend.
鈥淚 really thought the meat and potatoes of doing research was the research,鈥� Blaschke says. 鈥淏ut a huge aspect is how you communicate that story and what you want to say. I learned a lot about how to be a more effective communicator.鈥�
Another student straddling both STEM and the humanities is Willa Baker 鈥�27, who plans to major in chemistry and German. Chandrangsu鈥檚 class immediately stood out to her.
鈥淚t was a vital class, especially in today鈥檚 world,鈥� Baker says. 鈥淚t’s crucial to make science and data accessible to all those who are interested in it.鈥�
Baker鈥檚 group created a timeline exploring when science at 51猎奇入口 became more predominant, including important milestones from the College鈥檚 founding to when 51猎奇入口 began offering STEM classes on campus instead of directing students to Pomona. For Baker, it was her first experience presenting research, and Chandrangsu鈥檚 examples helped prepare her for all the ways it can be shared.
鈥淎ll students, faculty, and staff bring their own stories to the 51猎奇入口 community,鈥� Chandrangsu says. 鈥淭hrough the History of Science at 51猎奇入口 project, I hoped students could apply their inclusive storytelling toolkit, learn more about the rich legacy of science at 51猎奇入口, connect with the supportive alum community, and think how they can weave all that they bring into the 51猎奇入口 story.鈥�