Speaker
Description
From Research to Reels: QCB’s Social Media Ambassadors Program
Science cannot build public trust if it speaks only to people already listening. Journal articles, institutional websites, news stories, conference presentations, courses, and public lectures primarily reach audiences already connected to science. Social media offers something fundamentally different, bringing research into the everyday lives of people who may never visit a scientific website, attend an academic event, or actively seek out STEM content. Reaching these audiences matters because public understanding and trust shape institutional priorities, policy decisions, and sustained investment in research, yet few researchers receive formal training for communicating effectively in this rapidly evolving environment.
To address this need, the NSF STC for Quantitative Cell Biology is collaborating with Professor Diva, a physics graduate student and science communicator with more than 200,000 Instagram followers. Together, we are creating accessible content for new audiences while equipping graduate students with valuable communication skills. Our first video featuring QCB’s Minecraft Cells initiative received more than 50,000 views in one week, approximately ten times the combined annual reach of our other communication efforts.
Building on this success, QCB will launch a year-long Social Media Ambassadors Program in which Professor Diva will mentor researchers in creating accurate, accessible, and engaging content about their work and its broader impacts. Participants will learn audience engagement, storytelling, scriptwriting, filming, and editing while developing authentic online identities. The program encourages them to connect their science with their cultural backgrounds, personal experiences, hobbies, and creative strengths. By treating scientific and nonscientific identities as complementary, rather than separate, the program strengthens researchers’ sense of belonging and shows broader audiences that scientists, and the people who can become scientists, come from every background